


Calluna

by lilacnightmares



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Chance Meetings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Inspired by Art, Magic, Magic-Users, Mystery, NON-GENDERED READER, POV Alternating, Prince!Saeran, Princes & Princesses, Reader Insert, Secrets, Thief, Thief!Reader, Trapped in a castle, fairytale, fairytale AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 60,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25641034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacnightmares/pseuds/lilacnightmares
Summary: The Prince has been bound to the castle walls, and he's never been able to leave from it. The only place that he has to escape to are the books that he reads and the garden that he's allowed to venture into every evening. But, what happens when he encounters someone that has eyes that know a world unlike his own?Inspired by a drawing by @Sensetenou on Tumblr.
Relationships: Choi Saeran/Main Character, Choi Saeran/Reader
Comments: 66
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

You know, it’s not ever ideal to be trapped in a prison, no matter how glamorous the prison is. 

Ray has known nothing but the hall stone walls of the castle and it’s surrounding fences for as long as his memory could go to in the past. Granted, his memory wasn’t as great as some people’s memories were but all he had known was the palace for as long as he had been around. 

The Queen had told him that it was for his safety. 

Her golden curls, her warm smile, but the sternness of a woman who had seen something that he may never be able to understand. Ray knew that the Queen was only looking out for him. She had been there for him for his entire life, even if he couldn’t recall all of the details. She had told Ray that he had been in an accident when he was a child.

It took his memories from him, but that he was alright apart from that. 

He had no reason to doubt her in the slightest. She called him her only son and he believed her warmly and truly. There were just times when he couldn’t help but wonder what was beyond the palace walls. Even though he had been warned time and time again that it was dangerous—

Well, the call to know more about the world was always pulling at him. Whenever he would open his books and read, he would find himself more and more curious about the places that he read about and how they must have looked. It was hard to imagine what the ocean looked like, or what a vast and big forest seemed like. 

His free time that wasn’t spent in the study was oftentimes spent reading any book that he could get his hands on, be it a novel or some kind of map. As much as he had spent his years learning about every single flower in the gardens here on the palace grounds, he had found that his thirst for knowledge had no bounds. 

The itch couldn’t be scratched by reading about it. However, he couldn’t do about that because the walls of the palace were always locked. The only people that were allowed in and out were the few of the merchants and the guard. The only reprieve that he had from his castle walls was when he left to wander the gardens in the evenings after he had completed his duties. 

The Queen took care of much of the finer details but Ray was expected to be there with her most of the time, and he had to obey. It was typically just listening to peasants who had wishes to be taken care of or discussions about bordering lands and treaties, and the other expected daily tasks that one would think that a royal family attended to. 

He had to keep a pleasant face all morning and evening long, and his shoulders would tire of all stiff he had to stand at his Queen’s side. Still, Ray buried all the pain because this was the life that he was born into and what he would always have to do. It was a luxury and he knew that he had no right to whine or complain about his place in the world. 

So, he did what he had to do, daily and nightly.   
Until he was able to retreat to his garden oasis where nothing existed but his thoughts and his colorful arrangement of friends that wanted dutifully for him. He would walk the familiar path and look for a sign of new sprouting buds as the cusp of spring was upon them. It would be the most lively and lovely bloom this time of year. 

Ray was excited about the spring. It was the one time of year when he had every excuse to go outside and breathe the fresh air away from the stuffy stone walls that often surrounded him and made him feel more and more suffocated. 

The sunshine on his skin and the breeze rolling over his hair and just the sense that he was free. 

It was a small thing, but something that he craved desperately for such a long time. 

What he enjoyed the most could be called a simpleton’s folly but Ray could have cared less about that. Even if the people thought ill of him, they would never speak such words of their one and only heir to the kingdom that their precious Queen had given to them. Just another simple fact. He was the prince and this was his fate. 

It could have been worse, so, he accepted it as he accepted most things. With a nod of his head and a simple, “Yes, of course,” as if he had known it all along. A good boy who always followed the rules given to him, even if it made him unhappy. 

Tonight the sun had set just a little bit faster on the horizon before he had a chance to go outside and see it for himself and not just beyond the edge of his vision in the window that stood behind him all day long. 

There was, however, a gentle breeze that reminded him that the world wasn’t quite as quiet as it could be. 

He enjoyed his moment of peace, though. Ray took a change in his path tonight, turning right instead of turning left when he found himself at a dead-end. There was a lot of heather on this particular path which he hadn’t seen before. It seemed as though the garden staff had been working to change things up as the Queen had dictated that she wanted a change. 

The white sprigs were lovely to see. They tend to look a lot like lavender to the naked and untrained eye but it was very much different in its way. He knew from the way that the colors sprouted on their vines from bunching up at the very top of the stem or the way that they spread out from the top to the bottom. 

His fingers brushed against the petals with a faint smile appearing on his face. Ray was so caught up in admiring the flowers that he hadn’t even realized that someone was hiding amongst the fauna. There was the sound of guards from the other side of the grounds and it made him pause, and glance over his shoulder. 

“Where did they go?”

“I haven’t seen them on this side of the grounds. They couldn’t have gotten very far, I’m going to check this way, and you three head that way. I’m sure the thief is looking for the exit right now, and they’re going to slip out while we’re confused. Make sure that someone is watching at every single one of the exit points.” 

“Understood!” 

Ah, they were looking for a thief of all things. 

That struck Ray as odd. Nobody had ever dared to try and take anything from the Queen because she was so well-loved as far as he knew. 

It just didn’t seem like something that happened. Sure, in one of the books that he read it happened, but it just didn’t seem like it would happen in his castle. He waited until the guards had run by before he looked back at the person hiding. 

“They’re gone,” he told you, voice curious. “You wouldn’t happen to the one that they’re looking for right now, would you?” 

You stood up from the brush that you had ducked behind to hide. There was a bit of weight in your bag that you had tucked underneath the cloak that was hanging over your shoulders. You had taken something but the prince didn’t seem to want to turn you into the guards. That didn’t seem to make sense. 

He had every right in the world to want to turn you to the guards. 

After all, he was the Queen’s son. 

He was the spoiled rotten prince that never left the palace walls. You had heard stories of him but seeing him in person was different. 

He didn’t exactly look like the Queen, though. He may have looked like the former King, but as far as you knew from what you had seen, the man had died long ago and there was no way to confirm any of that. There was no painting in the castle of the King. 

Nevertheless, you were staring into the eyes of the prince in front of you, waiting to see what he may do to you. His hair was white, as white as the moon was on a starless night. His skin was pale as if he had truly been bound by the walls of the castle for his entire life. His eyes were green as the deep forest that surrounded the palace. 

Had you not been a thief, and had he not been the prince, perhaps you may have said that you found him rather appealing. 

“Um,” you managed. 

“Um, indeed,” he echoed your words. 

You supposed that no excuse was going to get you out of this one. It wasn’t an easy life being a thief and crawling around to grab what you needed to get by. You had a debt to pay and the only way to pay it was by stealing bigger items every time it was demanded of you. You weren’t getting anything out of lying to him. 

Hey, everyone had a place in the world and yours was this one, as a penniless thief. 

Just as his place was as a prince, of a palace that was benefiting on the suffering of its people but you weren’t sure if the prince was aware of that. Well, not after seeing him not turn you in immediately for what you did. 

“Yeah,” you admitted, shrugging the bag from your shoulders and holding out the jewels that you had swiped from their hiding place in the center of the palace. “They’re looking for me, alright. You caught me, prince. I’ll go ahead and return it, then, since you caught me red-handed.” 

Ray stared at your hand for a moment. It was as if he was wondering if he should take it back from you or not. Then, much to your surprise, he closed your fingers over the jewels that were in your hands and he gently pressed it back towards your body. You were confused by his actions. But, he gave you this kind of mysterious look. 

“We can surely part with a few measly jewels,” he said, quietly. “I imagine that if you were brave enough to take them in the first place, you must have a good reason for doing it. So, you can keep them. I won’t tell anyone I saw you.” 

You stared him for a moment longer, as if trying to understand why he would do something like that for someone like you. 

“Are you sure?” you asked him. “I mean, I could be a really bad person and you wouldn’t know it. I could always come back here and steal more or hurt people. You don’t have a reason to trust someone like me.” 

“People with bad intentions don’t say stuff like that,” Ray said, simply. He retracted his hand from yours, staring at the gloved hand. “If you were going to cause harm, then you would have already done it before I even said anything. You could have used me as a captive to escape, but no, you let me cover for you instead.” 

Well, he had you there. 

“Well, that’s a good point,” you told him as you shrugged your bag back over your shoulder knowing that you would have to get out of there fast. “Thank you… for not letting them find me. I guess that means I owe you one.” 

The sound of guards grew from that moment and you and Ray both stiffened. That wasn’t good. It seemed like you were in trouble now. They were coming back in this direction and that meant that he couldn’t cover you for much longer once they saw you again and knew where you were. He held out his hand to you and reluctantly and surprisingly, you took it. 

“I know where an exit is that nobody checks,” he told you. “Quick, follow me.” 

Ducking behind a row of flowers and following a twisting path through a maze of brush, Ray led you to a quiet corner of the palace grounds. The sounds of the guards were still there in the distance and it left your blood pumping incredibly fast. You couldn’t hear much over the sound of your breath and heart beating. 

He stopped, but only to pull down some weeds and vines that had grown over a wooden door in the wall. He managed to clear it off without a lot of trouble and pushed the door open. It revealed the forest that existed around the castle and Ray stared at it for a moment as if it held a secret that he did not know. 

Ray shook out of his daze and glanced at you, “Well, you’re free, now. You should get going before they do patrols around the outskirts of the gate.” 

You stepped out of the threshold of the door but stopped, only to turn back to look at the prince that had shown you an ounce of kindness that you had not known for such a long time. You spared him a true and genuine smile. 

“Thank you,” you repeated your gratitude, bowing your head. “I meant what I said. I owe you one now.” 

Ray considered that. 

He was quiet, weighing over the thought of what he may want to ask from you if he had a want from you that was. You weren’t sure what a prince may even want. He already had everything that anyone could ever want, at least, that’s what you would have thought. A cushy castle, jewels, crowns, all kinds of power, and the works. 

He could eat and have anything that he wanted! 

“Would you care to meet me here again?” He asked, suddenly. 

You cocked an eyebrow. Why would he want you to come back to the castle to meet with him of all things? “I suppose so. But, might I ask, why?” 

Ray seemed embarrassed, now. His cheeks covered in a dusting of red as he looked over at you with a sincere expression. “Well, I don’t know if you know this, but I’ve never set foot outside of this castle before in my life. I’m not allowed to. But… you are. You’re free to do anything that you want to do,” he breathed. “You aren’t trapped like me.” 

Oh. So, he was bound by the castle thanks to the Queen’s orders. That hadn’t been a lie. His hand brushed against the open doorway but you saw a glimmer of magic force him back inside of the walls. He physically couldn’t leave the castle. It wasn’t that he was told that he couldn’t leave, he actually couldn’t leave. 

“Wow,” you whispered. 

You hadn’t seen magic like that, before. When you reached out to touch the doorway, it did not affect you. Your hand went right through it and again, proved that you were not affected by the magic as he was.

“I’ve always wanted to know what the ocean looked like,” he said, softly. “I bet you’ve been able to see it. I bet you’ve been able to see all kinds of things. So, if you wouldn’t mind visiting again… I’d like your favor to me to be you telling me about the places that you’ve visited.” 

It seemed as though there was much more to this prince than meets the eye. 

The glimmer in his mint eyes left you curious. You decided that you would take him up on this offer of his just for the sake of learning more about him. If he had given you a second chance after learning that you were a thief, then you could surely give him a chance to be more than you thought of him. 

“I suppose that’s a fair trade,” you said with a smile, turning away as you started to walk away from the castle grounds. “I will return soon, then, dear prince Ray.” 

“Wait! I didn’t catch your name!” 

“You can’t get all of my secrets out of me just yet! I’ll tell you, but only if you wait for me to come back here!” 


	2. Chapter 2

You had only known a life of theft and thievery. 

That was to say, you had no other choice but to follow that path after your parents passed and you were left with nothing to call your own but the clothes on your back. It wasn’t easy in this country, nobody had a good chance of survival if they were one of the commonfolk. Those that lived in the castle had anything they could ever want and more, while the people suffered. 

Their prosperity was upon the backs of people such as yourself. As the commoners suffered, the royals ate upon gold and silver. It was a thought that could make any person better, and it was no different for you, you detested the rich and all that they held in their hands while the people pushed themselves into their graves for it. 

Some people preferred to accept their fate as it was, but you were among those that had no choice but to see that pain and want to do something about it. 

Well, that wasn’t entirely right, you were forced to see it because you had been forced to repay a debt. A debt that had been placed upon you as a young child, a hungry child that took one measly gold coin of theirs from someone who had more wealth than you decided you would pay them back with your utter servitude. 

You had no choice, it was your life, or give the man what he wanted. It wasn’t out of pity, it was out of the fact that the rich could push around anyone that they wanted. As tired as you had been, no child in this world would pick to perish over being able to survive. You had been once a child that lived in your dreams your parents would whisper to you at bedtime, but now? 

You knew that the world wasn’t a fairytale. 

You knew that nothing was the way that people wanted children to believe it to be. You had swiftly found yourself dropping your dreams for cruel reality. As it had turned out, the man that you had taken from as a child was a man that built his wealth on fear and control, by stealing and pushing down others to keep power. 

He controlled many people, those people brokered secrets, money, food, status, and more. If you had the things that people wanted most, or that people feared the most, you could pretty much do any little thing you wanted. It was no different than the power that the royal family coveted, a power that couldn’t be tested because of its power. 

As for you, he made use of your stature and young age very well, teaching you how to be quick-witted, fast, sly, and ready to take whatever you could for him. You could pick a pocket far quicker than you could extend a friendly conversation with someone. It took a few years, but by the time that you had reached young adulthood, you were one of his best back-alley thieves. 

Make no mistake, you knew that he didn’t trust you, but you also knew that going against him meant that you were sure to lose your life. He had eyes everywhere and on everyone, nowhere that you went could be far enough from the tyrannical Red Hood. You heard whispers among your brethren that he was a noble who hid his deeds underneath this mask, but you had heard many whispers. 

In the end, you knew, it didn’t matter who he was behind the hood and behind his mask, it only mattered that he held your life in his hands and if you didn’t do exactly what he told you to do, you would surely pay for it with everything. 

If he said “jump”, you would reply, “how high, sir?”

It was just as easy as that. 

He told you in no uncertain turns that he needed some jewels from the castle. You didn’t ask why, you didn’t dare think to ask, you simply nodded your head. Nobody had ever managed to get in and out of the castle, and it was likely to be a doomed mission. And yet, here you were, standing free in the middle of the trees instead of in shackles in the dungeon as many had been before you. 

As you hurried through the forest with the glimmering jewels in your bag, you couldn’t help but glance back at the castle you had abandoned. You had expected for things to go south fast, but what you had never dared think that the prince would come to your rescue, of all people. Prince Ray was nothing like you thought him to be. 

The prince that never left the castle was often thought to be sickly, weak, and kept away to ensure that he survived long enough to produce an heir, at least, that’s what you had heard. True enough, his skin had been parlor and his eyes seemed wary, but he was very much alive and he seemed to be standing just fine on his own underneath the afternoon sun. 

“Something isn’t right,” you said, mostly to yourself, not stopping or slowing your pace as you hurried through the brush. The prince wasn’t just a man kept in his castle for his health, no, he was truly bound to the grounds itself. You had heard whispers of magic in the past, but it was absolutely nothing you believed. 

Magic couldn’t exist. 

But, then again, princes with kind hearts weren’t often real, either, so perhaps there was something more to magic than you thought. 

Was he cursed? Had he been hexed? Of all the stories that you had heard, it was often a princess that was cursed or trapped somewhere, never typically a prince. They were often that way because someone was jealous of them, or their beauty, or their power, or what they could do if they realized how great they were before it was too late for their foe. It didn’t make sense to you, no matter how much the image of the prince’s hand being unable to push out of the mystical wall of magic. It was like thick ice that bends as he strained, but it pushed him back. 

It did not affect you. 

Certainly, the prince was a lot more interesting than you thought him to be. You owed him, you owed him for saving your life back then. It was the one thing that Red Hood couldn’t take from you as he had taken everything else, and that was your promises. Your mother had once told you to never go back on a promise, and if someone did a good deed for you, you should repay them for it. 

Prince Ray had not had to save you, he could have shouted and turned you in to the guards. So, you would keep your promise that you had made to him. Red Hood didn’t need to know about that, all he wanted was results. You had delivered on that, and you would make good on your word to him that you would return. 

It took some time to pass through the next town as you blended into the crowd and kept marching on until you had made it through. Red Hood’s office was tucked away and out of sight, and you had to hit a certain number of knocks on a hollow tree just on the outskirts of this village. Two firm knocks, then pause, then three, then a single knock. 

The earth would open and the doorway would appear in front of you, and you stepped inside without hesitation. You passed by plenty of his other cronies as you headed toward him, meeting the gaze of a few who seemed surprised that you had returned, and without a single scratch or bruise on your body to be seen. 

You pulled the satchel from your side and dumped the contents out onto the table in front of your boss, not even batting an eyelash when he lifted his head to look at you. You knew he was, you could see the golds of his eyes. “The jewels, boss,” you told him, bluntly. “Just as you asked, all of them that I could find.” 

He picked up a shining emerald, eyeing it with speculation. It seemed like he had doubted that you had gotten them at all. Or, perhaps he thought that you had grabbed them from another spot because a lot of his workers would often try to pass off smaller steals as bigger steals to get in his good favor. 

Red Hood knew how to spot a liar and you weren’t going to lie to him for the second time in your life after you knew what happened. As if you were ever going to make that fatal error. His silence was often a bad sign, but you kept your composure and your hard trained eyes on him. If you backed down from your spot, it would only make it worse. 

“What?” you asked, before placing a hand on your hip. “Is it not good enough?” 

He sat up straight, and you felt the men behind you clench their shoulders and brace themselves for the worst. Rather than scold you, he set the jewel down and nodded, and if it weren’t for the mask, you might have guessed that he was smirking in your direction.

“Good job,” he said, gruffly. “If you had taken any longer, you would have been marked for death. I can’t afford to lose anyone that does their damn job right. Did anyone see you?” 

You shook your head, deciding to stick to your guns and not tell him about the Prince. He didn’t need to know. However, you knew that if he found out about the magic that you had seen, he would have gone mad with delight. You still owed the prince a life debt and no way you were going to doom him when you wanted to know more about him. 

“No, sir,” you said. “I got the jewels and I got out. Frankly, I think you should scold more of the men that had failed this task, boss. Security was a lot laxer than I was informed. If it was as sparse there as it is in the ruins, well, you connect the dots, Red Hood, sir.” 

“ _ Is that so _ ?” 

The tension in the air could have been cut through with a knife, and it still wouldn’t have made his laughter sound any less frightening. 

—

Taking a seat at the bar, you laid your head down against the wood and breathed in a sigh. You were utterly exhausted after the tense meeting you had had, and there was nothing more that you wanted to but drown your sorrows in some cider and sleep the rest of the night. However, it wasn’t that simple for you. 

You felt a glass thunk down next to your head, so you lifted your gaze to the man working at the bar, only to note that it was Zen. You were surprised to see him, as he had been bound in debt to the same man like you for some time. It had been a while since you had seen his face because he had been the first and only man to leave without punishment. 

He wouldn’t tell you how he did it. 

You had a suspicion that he had come into money, or perhaps one of the pretty girls that found him charming had paid off his debt for him. Though, you doubted he would have accepted someone trying to do that. He was a stubborn man who worked hard for his place in life, and you considered him a friend of sorts. 

He didn’t lose his parents, he left them. 

After how they treated him, you didn’t blame him in the slightest for running for the hills. Even if it had doomed him to live the same life as you. 

“Zen?” You sat up straight despite how your body screamed at you. “What the hell are you doing here?” 

The man chuckled at you as if not even bothered by your uncouth language. “It’s nice to see you again as well, little sparrow. I was wondering when you would drop by again. It seems as though he is making you work harder, is he not?” 

“You don’t know the half of it,” you took a long swig from your glass. “Thanks. I’ll pay you back for this later, Zen. I haven’t had anything in hours.” 

He waved it off. “No, don’t worry about that. It’s on me this time. I owed ya’ for the last time we were together like this. Think of it as me paying you back because I know how you are about those lifelong debts.” 

You shifted in your seat.

Well, you couldn’t blame him for that. He always knew what you were going to say, and as much as you loathed interacting with other people, Zen was one of the few people in the world that you knew that you could trust with your life. He had big dreams and he wasn’t going to stop until he got them in his hands. 

Your parched lips thanked you for the drink, that was for sure. You wiped your mouth against your sleeve and set the glass back down, resting your hands against the table. “So, what brings you here, Zen? I thought you were chasing your dreams.” 

“I am doing that,” he told you. “But, you know that an actor isn’t on the stage every moment of every day. I do have other things that I do, little sparrow.” 

You snorted. He was such an actor, he knew how to say things that made you feel better even if it was just as simple as that. He knew what he was doing, and that was to Zen’s benefit. It was where he was meant to be. As jealous as you were that he had gotten out of this life, you were just as happy for him to be free as a bird. 

Much like the nickname that he had bestowed you years ago when you first met him. You could say that he had taken you under his wing when Red Hood wasn’t pushing you around the base, and you were happier for it. He was a kind man, even if he was only a few years older than you. It was enough to make people leave you alone. They respected him at the end of the day and even if they didn’t think much of you, you were safe because he thought well of you. 

“Well, it is good to see you again,” you said, simply. “You should be watchful, though. He has more eyes out than ever, and even though you left without invoking his rage, I know he still has a sore spot for you,  _ Hyun _ . Stay safe. I hope you know well to do that.”

Zen eyed you curiously for a long moment. He was taking in how tired and ragged you looked. “And I hope that you aren’t involved in anything too dangerous these days. I know you can’t control that, but please, remember that you can always come to me if you’re ever in danger.” 

It went without saying that Zen was implying that if you dared to go against Red Hood, that if you tried to run away, he would offer you protection and shelter. Knowing that you had lied through your teeth to Red Hood for the second time in your life, you knew very well that your days may very well be ultimately numbered. 

You were risking a lot on Prince Ray, and surely, you hoped that it was worth your curiosity about the man with bright green eyes. If it wasn’t, it may be the very thing that costs you everything that you’ve fought so hard to keep, and that being… your life.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I decided that I had a lot more ideas for this story so I can't promise how long this will be but it's surely going to be a ride when I get the urge to update! I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far and want to see where this goes.


	3. Chapter 3

“Pay attention.” 

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry. I’m afraid I was distracted for a moment, my queen.” 

Her lips were set into a line, and it showed her clear displeasure in his words. Ray sat up straight and kept his head facing forward without any hesitation. He knew better than to look away or lose himself when the queen had offered her time to him when she had many more things to take care of. She had an entire kingdom to run. 

Ray knew better than this. He did, he knew that he did. It was just that he was so caught up in what happened two days prior that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He had never been able to talk to another person that didn’t work for the castle, and this person treated him like a normal person for the most part, and that was new. 

Oftentimes, people would bow their heads right away and treat him like the sickly prince that they thought him to be with pity in their eyes but nothing but loyalty to their queen and kingdom. It was hard to have people do that, hard to have people treat him like glass, and as though he was a child and not a grown man. 

He had only been what one would consider an adult for two years now, but his thin frame and tired eyes seemed to indicate that he was younger to most people. He couldn’t get you out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. Ray had been surprised by how quickly you took something that was so well guarded, and yet—

You looked nothing of the dark and rogue villains in the night that he had heard his queen speak of to him over and over like a bedtime story. No, you seemed brighter, much more akin to the sunshine like he enjoyed whenever he could get a moment to see it. After he had helped you escape from the ground, he had been ushered back into the castle because they hadn’t been able to find their thief. 

Ray was curious, to be honest, why would someone that seemed as interesting and kind as you be a thief of all things? You had been so willing to bow your head and return the items when you thought he had caught you, and your use of manners and smiles seemed so coy and otherworldly. 

It reminded him of the storybook characters that he had long read about in his youth. 

You held mystery and freedom in your hands. 

His curiosity was eating away at him, and the fact that you promised you would return to speak with him in due time made him antsy. When would you come back? When would he see you again? Or is it that you weren’t going to come back? Maybe you thought it was a trap, or maybe you thought he was going to turn you at the moment you arrived. 

It made sense, at least, in that regard to thinking that a thief would be wary of the prince that they stole from in the first place. 

But, Ray wouldn’t do that to you. There had to be a reason and he wanted to know your reason and more about you in general, because your laugh was etched into his memory and it made him want, no, crave more of it. However, it was starting to affect his studies with his queen and she had taken notice that he was not quite there. 

She frowned, letting out a sigh and shaking her head. “Ray, you don’t want to disappoint me, do you? I hope you know how important this is going to be for both of us. It’s an alliance, one in which we require at the moment if we want our prosperity to grow to our neighboring lands. You want to be able to show our allies that you are the pinnacle of strength.” 

Ray swallowed and nodded his head. “Yes, my queen. My apologies. I don’t wish to make you feel as though you are wasting your time on me. I know how much this means to our kingdom and our people. After all, even if I cannot remember the first few years of my life, I know that they must have been blessed since you cared for me.” 

Rika leaned forward towards him. Her fingers brushed against his cheek, dipping him so he had to look back at her right then. “Yes, my dearest son. The accident is still on my mind always, as I am grateful to not have lost as we lost the rest of our family.”

The tone in the room grew somber at that mention. 

When the prince had been a very young boy, there had been a grave accident that took the life of the king and injured him greatly. He was lucky that he had survived at all, and the only thing he lost was his memory. According to the queen’s explanation to him, as he recovered, the king had shielded him with his body and that was the only reason he was around today. 

It pained him that he apparently couldn’t remember his father, not even his name, nor his face, but the man had given himself up for the sake of his life, rather than his own. Ray thought highly of the man for that reason but he never brought him up, he knew that it was far too painful for the queen to think about after she lost somebody so dear to her heart. 

She spent such a long time helping him craft his memory and learn to do everything again from scratch and although he had his failings and often messed up, he did his best to make her proud, to make their people proud. After all, he thought the kingdom thought highly of their family and what they dd to help them ensure prosperity. 

King Jihyun had been a kind, gentle soul. He cared greatly for his people, and he wanted to ensure that every single member of their nation was taken care of. It was a land that wasn’t ravaged by war, though there were still criminals and wandering thieves, that happened anywhere, though. He did everything for the people, even forgoing their own needs to ensure that people got to eat. 

However, after the accident, the queen withdrew from public life, but as far as he knew, she stayed true to the king’s orders to always take care of the people; She just had a really hard time facing all of them, Ray thought. It was hard to lead the country when you were grieving, no, when they were all grieving for that loss. 

That had been seven years ago. 

Even though the queen stayed in the castle with him when she could, but, she would often have to leave home and take care of important matters on her own with her guard. She was continuing to make their alliances and treaties with other lands to ensure that peace could come to everyone. 

That was the king’s deepest wish and she intended to keep it. 

That being said, even though Ray was bound to these walls, the queen said that it was no fault of his own that he was cursed. A jealous young wizard had bound him to these walls forever for he was too blessed and privileged compared to the fae. He hated that he was trapped here, forever bound to stay within the walls. No matter what his mother did, he was always stuck. 

He could see nothing beyond the walls of the castle as the forest was thick and dense. 

He knew nothing of the world except for the books that he had in his possession. They had drawings of what it was like, however, Ray knew that it had to be better when one was able to see it and feel it with their body rather than gaze upon it in their mind’s eye. It always taunted him whenever he felt like he was getting closer to it. 

Only to be pulled back in before he could make his escape.

Ray did his best to shake those thoughts from his mind as he focused on his lessons. After all, even if he had daydreams of a never-possible tomorrow, he needed to keep doing his work or the people in need of him. “I promise I will do better, mother,” he said, quietly. “I know how much work rests upon your shoulders. I wish to lighten your burden.” 

Her fingers curled against the top of his head as she patted down his white locks. “I know you do, you are a very good son, aren’t you? Now, let’s start over from the top, shall we? I was telling you about our chief exports with the Han kingdom and how crucial it is for us to keep them as our allies given the climate of…” 

—

The evening had come far too slowly. He sat in his lessons for hours as he repeated his words over and over until the queen was satisfied with what he did. It wasn’t perfect until they did it a hundred times and she saw fit. 

He knew that she was only doing what she felt was right, and he had a lot to make up for after losing many years of his youth where the formative lessons had been held. Compared to the princes of other kingdoms, he was hardly up to par with them. 

Sometimes, it felt like his curse was a good thing because it meant that people didn’t realize how horrible he was… the people wanted to believe that he was as good as the king, he knew that they were determined to see him become as good as that man, or as good as the queen was after she took his spot in leading the country. 

But, Ray didn’t think that he would ever be good enough to be either one of them. 

It was a sad reality, but one that he was trying to swallow down and bury deep in his heart. 

A prince did not show fear, nor did he allow himself to reveal his fears to others. You were the first person to ever see what his curse did firsthand. You knew what the kingdom didn’t… that he wasn’t a sickly boy trying to fill the shoes of someone he couldn’t remember in the slightest. 

You knew that he was trapped here. 

So, the real question was… would you come back to see him now that you saw something that no one else had, or would you believe him to be a prince that prided himself on power? He fiddled with the end of his sleeve, sucking in a nervous breath as he sat down in the grass with his back pressed against the cool stone wall that lay behind him. 

Ray had waited every evening to see if you would return, but he had seen no hint of you since the day that he let you go. A part of him wondered if you had merely been a figment of his imagination but he knew that wasn’t the case. 

He had heard the queen mention that the guard should be on the lookout for the thief in the towns. Whatever you had taken had angered her quite a bit, but Ray didn’t know why they needed to hoard any treasures such as jewels. What was the point in keeping things if it couldn’t be used for the benefit of the people? They weren’t the dragons who kept all their prizes, were they? 

If you had managed to break into the castle to get what you wanted, then you rightly earned the keep that you took. He imagined that you needed something to pay someone in need of it, or perhaps you needed it to make sure that someone had enough food to eat. 

Whatever the reason was, it meant that it was going somewhere to use, and not laying around in some box where nobody even paid it any mind at all. Ray sucked in a breath and blew it out right afterward. It may be a long night ahead, but he was determined to see if you were a person of honor who kept the promises they made to someone. 

Heroes in his books would pride themselves on code, on a state of being or an idea, and yours seemed to be your word. He imagined that that didn’t mean much in the way of things in a world that seemed to be defined by money and family power, however, it was respectable to be bound by your code rather than anything else. You promised that you would return, so he was going to hold you to your promise to him. 

After all, you owed him a name. 

The only thing that he could remember about you was the cloak that hung over your shoulders and the hood that covered a great deal of your face. There had been only memorable about your outfit was the small etching of a sparrow on your deep brown coat. That was interesting, you were as free as a bird in comparison to him, huh? 

“...Huh?” 

Suddenly, Ray felt something hit his head, and then twice, and then thrice. Looking at the ground beside him, he noted that it had been a couple of acorns. He cocked his head at the sight. That was odd given that no trees were hanging over the edge of the wall. He looked up and realized that it had come from someone rather than something. 

“It’s me,” you said, the hood falling from your head and onto your shoulders. You smirked, “Dear Prince Ray, don’t tell me you’ve been waiting here all this time.” 

Ray couldn’t believe that you had kept to your word. It seemed like a surprise, but he wanted to have faith in you and you gave it to him. Skidding down from the top down to the grass where he was, you offered him your hand. “I sincerely hope not. That would have been silly of you. I would have returned sooner but I had work to take care of.” 

He stared at your hand for the longest moment. Nobody had ever dared to do such a thing. The prince was often thought of as untouchable, someone that was far above the worth of anyone that didn’t have royal blood in their veins. The queen would scold him for doing this, but she would scold him for even letting the thief getaway in the first place. 

Ray was putting himself out on a limb because you were the first person that had ever caught his attention like this. 

Against what his brain told him, he took your hand and stood up. You seemed not at all bothered by being near royalty. Perhaps it was the fact that you often found yourself in peril that you had learned how to mask any fear or unease underneath a smile. Your hand was soft and warm in his own, even though it was gloved. 

“It is nice to see you again,” he found himself saying. 

“Likewise,” you smiled. 

He knew that this part of the castle was left alone for the most part, so he was happy to show you the areas that felt like home to him. He led you away from the thicker brush into the thicket of the maze with a nervous look on his face. Even though he barely knew anything about you, he hadn’t been able to get you out of his mind. 

What was your life like? 

What did you do outside these walls? 

What made you feel liberated?

There were so many things that he wanted to ask but he wasn’t sure how to ask them of you. He just knew that he so many things that it surely wouldn’t fit into one evening alone. Ray focused on the path of flowers in front of you. 

“Your business went well, then?” he inquired, first. 

You nodded, “Yeah, thanks to you, Prince Ray. I made it just in time for my meeting so you saved me a lot of grief, honestly.” 

Ray knew that it likely had to do with the jewels that you had taken. A thief was a thief, and they often had their eyes out for another prize that could get them what they wanted. You likely had many deals and goals for what you took. He couldn’t say that he had any idea out those things worked on the back end markets. 

He hadn’t thought you to be much a thief, but then again, all of the villains that he had seen were often big and burly men that wanted power from the gold and silver they could get their grubby hands-on as soon as possible. It didn’t seem like it was that way for you, but maybe he was projecting his thoughts upon you. 

“I didn’t realize that this castle had so much space. I didn’t even set foot in this garden when I got in the last time,” you mused to yourself, breaking him from his train of thoughts. “Then again, you did say that nobody comes to this area anymore.” 

Ray stopped his stride. You had reached the center area where the pavilion was and he took a seat on one of the steps as you took a good look around the place. You seemed interested in all of the flowers there. He was proud of them himself, honestly. This area had been the favorite spot of the king but the queen couldn’t bear to come here anymore. 

So, Ray did, and he tended to the care with one of the gardeners. 

“Not after what happened,” he said, softly. 

You stood still as if the thought occurred to you why this place may be so barren. “Oh, then this place is…” 

“Yeah,” Ray answered with a nod of his head. “It was the king’s favorite spot in all of the castle, but since his passing, it brings back such bittersweet memories for many of the staff. They keep the place alive in his honor but apart from that, nobody comes here anymore except for me.” 

“The king was a great man,” you said, looking over your shoulder at him with something unreadable in your eyes. “I am sorry for your loss. I know that feeling… well.” 

Ray was surprised to hear that. If you knew that pain, then that meant that you had suffered great loss in your life as well. You knew what he felt, but what he couldn’t remember. He wondered if his grief would be worse or greater if he could remember what the king looked like, or his childhood with his so-called father. 

“I am sorry to hear that you too, know such pain,” he said, automatically. He sighed. Ray looked down at his lap. “I’m afraid I can’t remember much about him. So, I try to come to this place to get a better understanding of him. That may seem rather odd, I realize.”

Your silence was telling. He knew that you had to know that he had been involved in that accident as well; Everyone knew that he was the miracle prince that had managed to be protected from harm but that was all they knew. Nobody knew that he had lost his memory. It was for the better that they didn’t know that fact, that’s what the queen said. 

“I don’t think it is,” your voice came from his side where you had sat next to him. “People want to be close to their loved one, no matter how far they’ve gone from us. It’s not at all strange to go to a place that meant a lot to that person or meant something to you in their relationship you had. Not many people have a place like that, so you’re lucky, Prince Ray.” 

Ray… lucky? 

He wasn’t sure that he was lucky. He was cursed to these walls and all of his memory had been taken from him. He spent hours trying to prove that he could be the prince that he was always meant to be but he never seemed to be able to prove himself. How was that lucky? Still, hearing that from someone felt strange. 

“Do you have something like that?” he asked you, unable to hide his curiosity. 

It was your turn to grow silent. Though, after a short pause, rather than giving him the answer that he wanted, you merely changed the topic. 

“Oh, that reminds me…” you paused, dipping into your bag for a second to find something before you tugged it out and pressed it into his hands. “You mentioned that you wanted to see the water… I mean, the ocean. I know it’s not the same thing, but I brought you this shell. My mother used to tell me if you press it to your ear, you can hear the song of the sea.” 

You placed a shell in his hands. It was big enough to fill both of them. The color was white, or perhaps cream. It had the faintest etching of pink on the raised tips and grooves near the swirl at the top. It was like nothing that he had seen before. Upon your urging, he raised the item to his head and waited for a sound. 

It seemed rather childish to do so, but you went out of your way to bring something to someone that already had everything you could have wanted. 

“Shut your eyes,” your voice broke the silence. “Just give it a moment.” 

He wanted to humor this. 

There was the faintest hum of something that sounded odd to him. It was like the wisp of the wind and something more, but he couldn’t place that memory. Was this magic of some sort? Was it a small secret everyone knew of except for him? After all, his queen said that magic could be found anywhere one was looking, but only if they were willing to see it. 

“Do you hear it?” you whispered. “The breeze on the coast is very pleasant and it invades all of your senses. The smell of salt is the first thing you notice, and something more, it’s the warmth of the sun on your body reflected from the sand as you step closer to the water’s edge. The water comes in waves that splash against the bank of the sand that gives way to the seas. The water is cool to the touch when you reach the end of the shore, and if you look down, you’ll see shells and little fish that have been pulled in by the tides.”

Ray tried to imagine it for himself. He had seen an illustration before but you made it come to life in his mind’s eyes. If he listened close enough, he could almost imagine what it would feel like to see the endless stream of the tide rolling into the bank just close enough to bite at his heels. It was almost as if he were there. 

You laughed at the expression on his face… rather pleased to have gotten such a reaction from the prince himself. “I take it that you were able to see it then, my prince? So, what’s it like over there by the sea?” 

“Wow…” he breathed, finally opening his eyes to look back in your direction. “This is… amazing… I do not know what to say. Thank you for this. Is this magic?”

Shaking your head, you couldn’t give him a straight answer for it. “It's nothing, my prince. I thought you would enjoy it. I wouldn’t know. It’s a story that parents often tell their children. I wouldn’t have believed in magic until I saw it for myself, so perhaps it is a kind of magic given life by the stories that people tell?” 

Ray would have to think about that. He gazed down at the gift in his hands. He had never received something like this in his life. People would give him gifts but it would never be from the heart, it would come from the idea that they wanted to give him something suiting a royal life… more gold, larger, more expensive, and more powerful. 

Even if you had only done this to help with your debt to him, he knew he would treasure this gift to him. 

“You know,” Ray didn’t look at you directly. “You still haven’t given me your name, and I think it would be impolite to call you, little thief.” 

You snorted at his attempt at a joke, “I’ve been called many things, to be honest with you. Many people assume my name or call me whatever they please. Thief, Sparrow, Ruffian, Misfit, and unwanted. I’m afraid my name is of no importance.”

“...It is to me,” he said, softly. 

Your silence returned. 

“I would like to know it if you want to share it with me,” Ray continued. This time he shot a look in your direction. “There is much in a name and a lot in a title. That is to say, you’ve called me nothing but Prince Ray since we met, but you never thought to ask me if that was the name that I liked to be called.” 

“My apologies,” your lips were still in a weak smile. “Is that so? Then, what is it that you like to be called by others?” 

He gave you his answer without hesitation. “Ray. I wish to be known simply by my name and not the title given to me at birth.” 

Standing from your spot, you hopped up onto the cobblestone and your feet made a little thunk as you did so. You faced away from him and gazed up at the moon that colored the night sky in light that gave the people the smallest hint of how big the universe was that they lived in, and how they weren’t the only people out there. 

Countless stars hung overhead as a humbling reminder that humanity was small in the scheme of things but nobody ever paid that mind. 

“Well,” you said. It seemed as if you were weighing the cost of sharing your name with him. “ If it truly means that much to you, then I see no harm in my giving you my name. Then, I will call you Ray… and in return, I will let you know my name but all I ask of you is that you never speak it to anyone but your own heart.”

A thief… giving him something that no one else held. 

“I swear to keep it to myself,” he replied, truthfully. 

“I thank you, Ray.” 

You spun around from your spot and leaned in close to his face, whispering the softest word that he almost didn’t hear but he heard it. It was a secret, something that you hadn’t shared with anyone in a long time, as far as he knew. It made his heart skip a beat. He mouthed the name to himself as if giving it to his memory.  His wide green eyes were trained on you, unable to make up his mind on how he felt about this mysterious thief. You seemed to be thinking something along the same lines since there was the faintest trace of heat across your skin that made him more curious. 

You pulled away from Ray and slung your bag back over your shoulder. 

Was your heart beating as fast as his? 

“I’m afraid I must take my leave, Ray,” you said. 

“So soon?” he asked.

You seemed resolute about it. “Unfortunately, yes. I will try to come and see you again very soon. I have some work to take care of and my employer will be upset if I don’t show him results. But… this was fun, you’re assuredly the kindest prince that I’ve ever met.” 

His heart quivered. 

“Well, you’re the _only_ prince that I’ve ever met but… that’s still a pretty good track record, is it not? See you soon, Ray. Hahaha.” 

That laughter of yours infected his heart like a poison and as dangerous as it was for him to get close to a thief, he was more than happy to follow this road ahead of him because you had given him something that no one else ever had, and that was the feeling of hope and wonder inside of his chest. Was it wrong for him to want you to stay longer? 

Yet, he still watched as you climbed the wall and left him behind, watching in the willows. 


	4. Chapter 4

“So, what you’re telling me is that you’ve always been trapped within these walls? You’ve never been able to leave?” 

“I can’t remember if there ever was a time that I was free.” 

“Really?” 

“Anything before the accident is… fuzzy. It’s like I should know what’s… what’s back there but I can’t remember anything about my life before that moment.” 

You couldn’t help but ask him more about this curse of his the next time you came to visit him. It was hard to ignore the way that his hand became encased in a casing of something invisible and yet tangible when he tried to leave. Brushing your hand against his, you did try to pull him one step forward out of the gate but something held him back. 

The frown on his face was evident. Yet, he seemed at peace with it. As frustrating as it was to be trapped within these walls, he knew nothing else. How could he know what it felt like to walk free of these walls? When you thought about it, he and you had a few things in common when it came to being trapped. 

You were free to wander the world but you were forever bound with shackles that would always draw you back to Red Hood; Ray was forever bound to the walls of this castle but he held the free reign of the grounds and could see the sky without fear. 

Funny, you thought, you never thought the day would come when you thought well of any royalty. It wasn’t like anyone remembered felt the same about the royal family. 

When you had been a child, the palace had been open to everyone far and wide, and your land prospered. The king put the needs of his people first until the day he died. 

Then, he died, and everything changed from that day forward. The castle walls closed to the people in the country and the queen grew bitter, demanding more and more tax from the people. If anyone tried to speak ill of her name, they went missing. As long as you acted like you were happy with her rule, you were spared from whatever horror may lay at her hand. 

The wicked angel, many called the queen. She was a beauty far and true, but her beauty shrouded her wicked heart. You would not say such a thing in front of her son, your new friend Ray, but he seemed nothing like that woman. He let you go free, he spoke to you like an average person, and he treated you with the utmost kindness. 

It was more than you had ever been shown by a stranger, and you trusted him the way he seemingly trusted you. He was trapped in these walls with that woman and no one else. Everyone treated him like glass day after day, and when he was with you, he seemed to show sides of himself that nobody else dared to get to know. 

The prince was no different than any other person. He had thoughts, dreams, hopes, wishes, and things he craved to have just as much as you did, just as much as any commoner did. It was a shame he was trapped the way he was, you knew that his gentle heart could have benefited the people if he could come into power. 

It didn’t help that Red Hood seemed hellbent on using this fear that people had of her to his benefit and gain. If the people weren’t scared of the queen, they were scared of what that man could do to them. He was the devil, you could get anything that you wanted from him if you dared to ask him for it, and while he would deliver the item, you’d owe him your life. 2

It mattered not how old you were, or how young you were. If you asked him, he would make use of you as long as he could. You weren’t sure which to more be warier of, your heart said that it was Red Hood but the unknown about what the queen could do to you haunted the back of your mind like a wicked ghost. 

Fear preyed onto the hearts of the weak. Those two seemingly understood that flaw well and expanded upon it to get what they wanted. Ray had no idea what the world was like outside the walls and you could see how desperate he was to hear something whimsical and vast rather than the weight of the truth that hung on your shoulders like a rock. You weren’t going to crush his bubble. 

You paused your step, teetering back and forth on the ledge of the cobblestone to look at him with a sympathetic expression. “That’s alright, Ray. I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t on the run either,” you said. “Life is kind of funny like that.” 

He redirected a question at you his time, using the moniker that you had earned, “And how long have you been on the run, Sparrow?” 

“I can’t say,” you shrugged. “My life of theft and thievery started when I was very young. You learn to adapt fast and hard when you have nobody else in the world. Sure, I found some people along the way who taught me a trick or two, but it’s always just been me at the end of the day. You’re always on the run when you’re like me.” 

Hopping down from the wall, you leaned over to peer into Ray’s curious eyes. He didn’t look at you with pity in his heart, and that was strange. You were used to people treating you like a little demon of the Earth or seeing you as a poor little lap dog for Red Hood. Odd that someone would see you as a friend instead of a fiend. 

“That is to say,” you pulled a small book from your bag and flashed it in front of him. It was the same one that he kept in his back pocket, sketching down the look of each flower that he saw so that he may have the chance to inspect the property and use it when he returned to his chambers to study for the late evening hours. 

“When you’re guilty of taking things without people knowing it.” 

He gasped as you pressed the note back into his hands without warning. He looked down at the book and then back up at you as if he were trying to piece together when you might have taken it from him but he likely had no idea of when that would’ve happened. 

Not many people did, you were a fast study and moved with precision. 

This was mere child’s play and Ray was a sitting duck. 

“Consider that your first real lesson of the world at large, my dear Ray,” you said with a wink. “If you aren’t too careful about who you trust, you’ll wind up flat broke the minute you give someone the time to rob you blind.” 

That wasn’t the first time that you pulled this prank on him now, but it was hilarious to see his face every time you made a move. It almost brought a genuine smile to your face for once in your life. Hanging around Ray was the height of your day now, even if you couldn’t often stay for very long to keep your cover from being blown out of the water. 

All of the friendships that you had made in your life often ended before they truly began. If they weren’t with Red Hood, they would think you to be somewhat of a rat that was simply waiting to turn them in for their hide. If it wasn’t that fact, it was simply because you never knew how to start the chance to speak with others. 

Your attitude was often surly if a bit haphazard. You weren’t a natural when it came to that. Sure, you could charm anyone and lure them in for the kill, but if it were a genuine situation and not built upon life or death, your brain went blank and nothing made sense anymore. When you were with Ray here in the deepest hidden garden, it wasn’t like that. 

You weren’t biting your tongue and feeling at a loss for words. He was interesting and easy to speak with. He seemed to have similar struggles since his pool of interaction was only with the queen and the servant staff, but his use of manners of impeccable. You had seen him flip off and on the switch of a young prince from afar a few times. 

It didn’t seem like the same person. Someone who spoke while they were standing tall and meeting the gaze of everyone in the room. The Ray that you had the privy of coming to know was a bit tonguetied and clumsy on his feet. If you didn’t know better, you wouldn’t have thought Ray to be a young prince at all, not in the slightest. 

If there had been a way to get him out of this palace, you were almost certain that he would blend into the crowd if it weren’t for the wisp of his hair that seemed as white as snow with the faintest hint of a pink sheen at the end. One cloak could easily cover that, but you threw that thought away from your mind every single time you thought it. 

For one, he couldn’t leave this castle, and for the second, you always had a target and eyes on your back from the rest of the village in this area. He needed to convert if he ever left this castle because he stuck out like a sore thumb of a rich boy who didn’t know any better.

It was why it was far too easy to take his things from him like this. 

You didn’t know why you couldn’t help but tease him in this way. Something about his real genuine reactions and indignant nature made you want to keep coming back for more. If you didn’t know any better, you may have admitted to yourself that you were more fond of this prince than you were meant to be. 

“You have to show me how you do that,” he said, quietly. 

You shook your head. “Sorry, Ray. I don’t want to jinx you with my misfortune like that. The minute you learn to do this stuff, you’re forever tainted by this black stain on your heart. You have to seemingly abandon your humanity to be who I am. You don’t strike me as the bandit type, you’re far too nice to ever wind up like me.” 

Sinking your gaze to the grass below your feet, you were almost surprised when hands pressed against your shoulders. Ray’s touch was firm but it wasn’t harsh. It was a gentle gesture that beckoned you to look at him once more. 

“I… I don’t think you’re a curse,” his voice was tentative and low. “I’m the only one here underneath a curse. You’ve been nothing but kind to me since we met. It doesn’t matter to me that you’ve had to do things that you’re not proud of to survive in this world. I think it’s admirable that you’re ready to do what you have to do no matter what.” 

Your heart fluttered in your chest, and a firm rhythm of thump, thump, thump, played like a quickened melody in the pit of your chest. 

You didn’t have the heart to tell Ray that you didn’t feel all that guilty about what you did. You often went and took from people that had more than they deserved to hold in their hands, and they would survive without a few shiny trinkets. You never took from someone that had nothing. 

Your kind face and young disposition gave you the luxury of being able to slip in and out of high-stakes situations without anyone ever daring to think that you were anything more than a young servant that was prowling the grounds and doing their tasks without needing to be told what to do. You weren’t all that proud of admitting that, though. 

Because, if you hadn’t gotten to know Ray, you would have considered him in that category of people that were nothing but rotten to the core. Now, you were starting to wonder if you had the wrong idea about the world and the people living in it. Perhaps, not everyone in this class was wickedly out of their wits, but your brain wouldn’t dare let you think that they were all innocent and devoid of filth in their hearts. 

Ray was the first person that made you have doubts about what you had convinced yourself of so very long ago as a terrified child who couldn’t help but beg for something to eat after so many nights of not having anything at all. You were playing a dangerous game by letting your heart slowly open up to the prince of your country. 

Yet, you were willingly walking into that battlefield without looking back to see the chains that were connecting you to Red Hood. No matter how far your heart strayed from your hardened state, your body would always belong to that wicked and cruel man. 

Despite the butterflies in your stomach, you found yourself smiling at Ray. 

“Thank you for saying that,” you murmured, softly. 

His expression seemed to mimic your own, one of wonder but uncertainty. The corners of his mouth were curled into just the smallest smile but trembled when you raised your hands to rest against his own. 

"I... I don't think you're a curse, either, Ray," you said. Your eyes met his. "Just because you have a curse doesn't mean that you are a curse. Whoever put the curse on you is the one that is begotten as they never got the chance to know you. If they did, I think they would have never done such a thing to you. You're far too kind to be deserving of such misfortune. Your curse means nothing to me as I've seen nothing that proves you to be anything but a kind man." 

Ray's fingers trembled underneath your own. It was as if nobody had ever told him that he didn't deserve this curse.

Did people just suspect this act to happen to young royals without letting them know that it wasn't their fault? How could a babe be at fault when they were too small to comprehend what the world of adults was doing to them? It was no different than what happened to you, someone just took one look at you and decided that you would be doing what they wanted and you had no choice but to obey since you held no power. It had been no different for Ray. He had no say or choice in the matter, just as you hadn't. 

Intertwining his fingers with your own, you tried to muster a smile on your face. "We have a lot in common, you and I, forever bound by the choices that the adults around us made. I know what it feels like to have no choice but to listen to what people tell me to do. But, you're the first person that's ever spoken to me without looking at me in pity of contempt for what I've been forced to do in my life, Ray." 

"You're the only person that's ever spoken to me as if I'm no different than any other person, that's more than I could have ever hoped for in a friend," he murmured something along the lines of a similar sentiment. "I can't imagine ever treating you any differently than I have. But, it's hard for me to imagine you being bound by the rule of someone else's law... you seem as free as a bird to me, or at the least, you should be free." 

"Even birds have cages," you said in a quiet voice. "But, when I come to visit you..." 

_It feels dangerously close to being free from my cage._

His free hand pressed against your cheek, "When you come to see me... it feels like I could be just another face in the sea of people. If I am... If I give you this same feeling of freedom that I'm feeling right now, I'm... I'm so happy. I don't know what to say... but at the same time, it pains me to know that you understand this misery. Please, let me help you. I can do that, I may not be able to leave this castle but... if you owe someone something... or if you're bound in debt, let me take care of it." 

Your throat suddenly felt tight as Ray made such a casual offer to you as if it were nothing. You whipped your head up and stared at him with wide eyes, sputtering as the words couldn't come past your trembling lips. You had messed up, you had said too much, and now he knew a piece of what you were trying to hide. He wanted to... give you the money to pay Red Hood off so that you could finally be free of the cage that had confined you ever since you were a child. 

Just like that? 

How was it... so easy for him to offer such a thing? 

What was this feeling in your chest? 

Fear? 

Excitement? 

You had to step away from him as you ripped your hand from his own.

"Ray," you managed to speak. "No... no, you don't have to do that. This is my problem. I have to do this for myself... I can't just let you pay him off for me. It wouldn't be right. I would... I would forever be indebted to you instead of him. That's no different. I want to be free of my chains on my own, and I don't expect anyone to take care of me. You don't have to do that. You shouldn't do that." 

Ray pursed his lips, a bit nervous that you had recoiled so fast from him. "I— I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just... I have no way to leave this place but what I do have is money and family power if I dare want to take it. I don't want you to do something that makes you feel tainted... I could fix it, just like that... I... I don't understand." 

"It was my mistake in the first place," you said, turning away from him. "I was young. I was... naive. I wasn't thinking, and I have to pay it back on my own. I'm getting closer to it every day and as long as I keep working hard, I'll be free." 

Ray was quiet. 

A part of you knew that you should have paid off the debt years ago for the food that you had taken but you had no way of knowing what sort of tax or interest that Red Hood added yearly to it because he didn't play any game with fairness in mind. For all you knew, you could be trapped in this life forever, but your parents had taught you to stick to your word and stay with your honor. If it meant that you had to keep doing this, then you had to keep doing it. Even if it made you feel wrong. 

The sun was beating down on your face, which reminded you that it was slowly turning into the evening hours. You had to be back before someone started to suspect something. You had to return with the haul that you had managed by springing a few travelers on the road. If you didn't give him something every day, then he would punish you greatly for it. Zen may have offered to protect you if you'd dare to run, but he only had so much power. 

"I— I'm sorry, Ray. I need to go. I appreciate that you want to help but I have to do this on my own. I'll be back, I just need to take care of my duty." 

"Wait!" 

You didn't look back. 


	5. Chapter 5

After she had tended to her cousin and sent him on his way to go and send word of the ceremony that was to come soon, she focused her attention on other matters that were calling her name. When one expects to control the world in a year’s time, it takes a lot of firm decisive action and not a trace of hesitation to take what you want when you want it. Rika is no stranger to this and she’s long learned how to covet what she wants. She, however, is tired of people making a mess where they didn’t ever belong to be. If another person dared to ruin her… 

Well, they would just have to take care of that, wouldn’t they? 

It had been such a long time since she had taken the crown on her own, and it burned into her hands so brightly. The people thought that she would step down when her son came of age, and while they weren’t entirely wrong, she had plans to take care of before that came to fruition. 

Prosperity was once finally within her grasp. 

It was only a matter of time, now. 

She had planned every moment they were walking now, and the only thing standing in her way was one final key obstacle that needed to be crushed. Rika had a plan to draw him out and it was the final piece in her puzzle that would grant her everlasting power without a moment of trouble. 

Once the final piece was removed—

Rika would send for the young wizard training in the mountains deep in the countryside, where he studied and lay in wait. Then, all would come together once and for all in this land of hers. The people would be at peace and she would protect them as long as they bowed their head and thanked her for her dutiful work. 

It was far too simple, but really, the people knew better than to doubt their queen. 

When she had proven to them how much better things could be, well, they had no say but words of good faith and honor in their hearts. For the ones that didn’t, well, they would learn in due time their place and how they should bow their heads. 

All things would come together as they needed to be. She just had to bide her time to get what she wanted and all would come together. She sat on her throne and listened to the report from one of her most loyal guards as he explained what he had seen and heard from everyone in the area. It was good news this time around. 

She was primed at attention. “Yes. I understand. Have you seen him at all? Has there been any word of a man of this description in the area?” 

He nodded, “Yes, your majesty. One of the guards on the border reported that they noticed somebody fitting this description in three days. Should we enhance our security? You’ve made it known that this man is to be captured alive.” 

“Yes, he is. However, as it is, don’t enhance security yet. Call up the guard from the nearby area to be here during the festival. We don’t want him to think that we’re onto him just yet… he may slip from our grasp if we act too hasty. We must scourge this kingdom of him before he destroys everything we have been trying to build in honor of our king.” 

“May he rest in peace,” the man bowed his head. 

Rika couldn’t stop the smirk that appeared on her face as she leaned back in her chair, eyes watching the window just to the right. “May he rest in glory,” she replied. “I trust you to be swift and decisive, we mustn’t waste a moment.” 

“Understood.” 

She paused, thinking of the other matter at hand that needed her attention. There was something less pressing but just as important to work on. 

“Oh, and if you could be a dear, answer me this, how is the search going for the thief that took the crown jewels? I don’t presume it to be the same man, but I am curious to know how they slipped in and out as they did,” she said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t suppose you’ve asked around the back-alley.”

The man lifted his head and gazed upon his queen. She was expecting his answer, and she would not be pleased if he didn’t bring good news. “ _About that, my liege, we’ve received word from_ …” 

—

“That’s the thing,” you leaned back against the grass and stared up at the clouds as they rolled by in an endless sea of blue. “I’ve never really had friends before… and I don’t know how I’m supposed to react if someone tells me that they’re willing to pay off my balance. How do you deal with it, Zen? Am I just supposed to take it?” 

He chuckled, but he didn’t answer right away. He was sitting on the stone ledge that overlooked the village. Everyone was going about their daily business and living their lives without a care in the world while the two of you had plenty to think about. He wasn’t being pulled down by his chains anymore but he was linked to it no matter how far he got away from it. 

“You act as though someone paid off my balance, little sparrow.” 

“Well, is that not what happened to you? I still don’t entirely know how you managed to unhook your shackles from Red Hood. Care to enlighten me then, if it’s not what the rumors are said to be? I think you can tell me, it’s not like I’d blab it to the world,” you snorted. “I hardly have anyone that I can call a friend.” 

Silence. 

You lifted your head just enough to look back at Zen, he was eyeing you down with a curious glint in his eyes. “Well? What’s the big secret? I told you mine, Hyun, so you ought to share yours with me if you can.” 

“I found something that he wanted,” Zen dodged the question directly. You knew that he was hiding something but it was likely for a reason. “It was worth more than any jewels or secrets and he let me go because I handed it over to him without any question. I still don’t know what was in that satchel of his but it’s something big. That’s all I can tell you.” 

Huh. You thought with a frown. 

What could be so important that he would be willing to give up somebody’s freedom as a trade? Red Hood kept everyone that he found useful but if it was so important that Zen could use it as a barter? Zen must have gotten his hands on a map or something that lead to fabled treasures, or something like that. 

If he wanted it so badly then it had to be something powerful. 

That was different than handing over the debt owed. That was something that you couldn’t imagine as one of his petty thieves. You had never gotten him anything of that caliber, apart from the jewels that you had taken from the palace and if that wasn’t enough for him to offer you freedom, then his goals were far bigger than money. 

It wasn’t your business, no, you knew better than to try to understand Red Hood’s goals. You just needed to keep working until you were free and then you could run, run as far away as you wanted to and never look back. Yet, something was holding you back from that dream and that was your new friend. 

Someone that had given you kindness when no one else had. 

The prince, Ray. 

“You know, if the crown jewels weren’t enough for him,” you said, aloud. “I don’t know if I want to find out what Red Hood truly wants.”   
“You should never find out,” Zen said. His tone was just as grim as yours. He had aa point and you were going to take that seriously as long as you could. Your only concern was your skin and that was your only problem to focus on. “That being said, who is this friend of yours? I never struck you as the type to be friends with the rich.” 

You clicked your tongue in disgust. “Zen, you know me better than that, my old friend. We both can’t stand those with money and power, but this guy is different. He was born into that lavish lifestyle but all he wants to do is run away from it. “ 

Had he forgotten all those nights where the two of you utterly took down wealthy men and took their money without hesitation? It had felt satisfying to take from them, quietly slipping a few coins into the pockets of the hungry kids on the streets so they could get something to eat. What Red Hood didn’t know, he wouldn’t miss. 

You both were confidently against the power that people held in the sky over those that were starving nightly so they could feast like kings. You knew that feeling as you could always remember how your mouth watered as you saw the spread that Red Hood had. He had more food than you had ever seen in your life. 

That was the moment that you knew that the world was unjust and cruel. If you were damned to be a thief for the rest of your days, then you would make a point of taking down those that had too much and only amassed more to see their numbers rise, and for no other reason. Greed was a selfish thing for these people. 

It was only fair that they got a taste of what they did to hurt others. 

Zen raised his hands in mock defense. “I’m sure you think he’s different. I happen to know how men of that caliber are and it could be likely that he’s tricking you. Men are wolves, but those that hold all the cards are often the apex predator. What is it about him that makes you think that he’s different from any of the people we’ve encountered?” 

You thought, “Well, he had a chance to give me into the authorities. He didn’t turn me in, he lied and protected me even though he had nothing to lose and I had everything to lose. I’d say that makes me respect a lot more than most of the guys I’ve ever met.”

Zen was always easy to confide in. He did always push your buttons just enough to make you think about what you knew and what you didn’t know. So, you just kept talking and didn’t make yourself hide anything that had been sitting on your mind since you had run off from Ray during your last visit to the palace. 

“He’s been nothing but kind to me from the moment we first spoke that day, and he’s done nothing to make me feel like I’m less of a person it just… took me by surprise that he was so willing to help me like that. I got flustered and overwhelmed and took it the wrong way. I thought he was questioning my ability to help myself, but it wasn’t until I got away that I realized he was just trying to be nice to me, Zen.” 

It was true. 

You had never thought that anyone would be able to just offer something like that. You wanted to prove yourself on your own but the idea that someone could be selfless in such a way as that, especially someone that had everything in the world. You had never thought that you would ever meet someone with money and power that had a heart. 

Yet, Ray persisted in your mind. 

Strange, but, it seemed as though the world had spun on its head. It was the first time in your life that you felt like you weren't sure of yourself nor did you have any idea what you were supposed to do here. How did one make friends and how did one sustain those relationships? 

Your friend only chuckled at you, and you groaned, “What? Why are you laughing at me like that?” 

Zen waved off your groans and huffs, only to say. “Oh, it’s nothing at all. I just think, no, I know that my little sparrow has a crush on someone. I can’t believe this day has finally come. I never thought it would come but I’m only surprised that it was a boy with status.” 


	6. Chapter 6

Ray felt bad about what he had said. He hadn’t meant to damage your pride or make you feel like you couldn’t handle yourself. 

He knew that you had lived a life so different than his, and he just felt like it would be easy to give you your freedom with the wave of his hand. He had never thought that it would make you feel as though you owed him in the same way you owed whoever was dangling a string over your head in the first place. 

It made sense, though.

You may have had a quick-witted tongue and you may have known how to take someone down before they knew what hit them, but you didn’t strike him as the type that would steal from the castle, no, it was easier to hit lower scores than it was to tempt fate with the highest power in the land. You may have been chasing money in the wrong places, but that didn’t mean you were Icarius. 

He didn’t imagine you to be someone that kept dreaming bigger and bigger in your schemes, no, it had to be whoever held the debt over your head. 

He had no idea who such a person would be to do that to you nor did he know how you came to owe a debt in the first place. He imagined that it might have been out of your choosing, some people had no choice or say in how their environment was and you could have been thrust into crime as a child. It was hard for a prince to imagine the life of the common people. 

Where he imagined freedom, it was very likely that the freedom he idolized was hidden under a layer of reality. The truth was, the world wasn’t as kind and caring as it always seemed in his storybooks and he knew that, but he tried to focus on how things could become better and how the queen promised that things were getting better and better. 

Yet, how could it be better if the crime she claimed not to exist was still rampant? 

She had not told him directly about the theft of the jewels, he wasn’t sure if she knew that he had been outside at the time or not. If it had been utterly important, she might have told him. It seemed odd to him that she hadn’t brought it up at all considering how important gems and priceless items were to her idealized kingdom. 

These were a token from the people that cemented their status in the clouds amongst the Gods. 

Not that Ray really felt that way. He didn’t think that a king should put himself so high, he never heard a story of his father doing such things. The castle had always been open and he had always made the people feel at home. 

It wasn’t until his death that the walls had been closed up tightly, anyway, and given how soon his ceremony was coming… 

He hoped to be able to bring these customs back and make the people happy as can be. The queen had been grieving for a long time and now, in the coming week, she would be able to take a step back from her hard work and help him transition to power, only focusing on her program to unite more of the neighboring countries while he focused on the homeland. 

He may not have been able to grasp freedom but he would bring it to the people, no matter what got in the way. After seeing how bound you were to your chains to a collector, he wanted nothing more than to get rid of the debt that held the people down. His first order as king would be to pay off everything that anyone owed. 

You might have been angry with him for it, you might have even never spoken to him again for it, but he wanted to pay you back with his greatest kindness after you had shown him that the world could be a wonderful place. He understood that so many people worked till their hands bleed to keep their oath and promise; Now, he wanted to give everyone what you had given him, a chance to feel free and a chance to follow their dreams. 

It wasn’t an insult to you, nor your pride. 

When the queen informed him that in one week’s time, his ceremony to ascend the throne would take place, his only thought was of you and what he could do for his people. If he was to be forever bound to the palace, he would make sure that no person ever felt the way that he did, trapped with nowhere to run to. Freedom would be the order of the land. 

Idealistic, sure, but who was he but the king’s son? 

Once you were free from your debts, he hoped that you would still come to see him time from time, but he would accept if you didn’t. Just the notion that you could be free to travel the seas and land was enough for him to feel happy and at peace with his choices. He just didn’t have the heart to tell you his plan just yet. He had something to ask of you first. 

So, Ray patiently awaited your next visit. He came by the outer walls every day to read and plan his next steps as he waited for you to come and come you did. You slid down from the stone wall and took your seat next to him as he hummed methodically, sketching out another rose from memory. You smiled at him and his heart felt tight. 

“Welcome back,” he murmured. 

“I’m happy to see you again,” you told him, softly.   
He was buzzing with the idea that you felt joyful. It was everything that he could have asked for, and every moment spent with you made him feel more alive and aware than he ever had before. Ray offered you his free hand and you graciously took it, the two of you just sitting together with your back to the wall, watching as the clouds rolled over the blue sky. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, not looking at you. “I never meant to make you uncomfortable.” 

“And, I never meant to make you feel as if you had done something wrong,” you said. “I understand that you were just trying to give me a token of your kindness, Ray. I’m not upset about it. I talked it out with a friend of mine. I think… I think I understand better now.” 

Even though his hand was tucked away inside of a glove, he could feel the way your palms trembled against his. “A friend?” 

Your smile didn’t dissipate, “More like my brother, honestly. He looked after me when I… got involved with that life. He’s not in this life anymore, he paid off his debt and he’s chasing his dreams like a mad man. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him you’re the prince. He just thinks you’re my closest and most dear person.” 

His heart fluttered once more. He was the dearest person to your heart? He didn’t even realize it, but he was squeezing your hand tightly now, not wanting to let go and let this moment end far too soon without some sort of relief. Despite himself, he was smiling because he felt so proud to be someone you trusted. 

“I’m… dear to you?” he breathed, barely above a whisper. 

A laugh escaped your lips. It made him crave more. “Yes… I would say so, Ray. It’s like I can be myself with you, and not worry about what people think about me. You haven’t judged me for a single second and you’ve only tried to do right by me. I dare say that makes you someone very close to my heart if you know what I mean.”

Ray didn’t. But, he wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about you that there was to know and he wanted to see you shine. He knew that you were meant for something great in this life and he hoped that you would one day see it with your own eyes, even if he didn’t dare get the chance to know what it was that you wanted. 

“You’re very special to me, too,” Ray murmured. “I don’t know how different things may be if I had never gotten the chance to get to know you. I’m glad that I took a chance on you. I hope that you feel the same way about it.”

It was the truth. 

You had given him and told him things that nobody else ever would. You didn’t see the noble prince when you looked at him, you just saw Ray, and that was all he ever wanted. He knew you but at the same time, he didn’t know you. 

It confounded him, spurned him, and pushed him to want more and more. You never told him no, you simply kept pushing forward every step that he took. What was this feeling? Why did it feel hard to go and breathe now? 

When Ray turned his head to look at you, he realized just how close you were to him, and just how close your lips were to his own. He was enraptured by the glimmer in your half-lidded eyes and he could do nothing but exhale a shallow breath. 

It was like the world came to a standstill and you were the only thing that mattered. 

“Ray?” you tentatively asked him, and he looked at you, looked at the way your free hand had come to cup his cheek. He was underneath your spell and these walls couldn’t stop him from touching you or seeing you. “Is this okay?” 

The question took him a moment to understand. He was far too fixated on looking at your features and tracing the shape of your lips and your cheeks. Ray wanted to remember this and he wanted to keep your face in his mind forever, just like this. If he could have made this moment last forever then this would be the moment he wanted to be painted. 

“This?” he echoed, raising his hand to rest atop your own. 

“Yes,” you said. “Is this okay?” 

“More than okay,” he said, never once looking away from you. “Is your heart… beating as fast as mine is?” 

“Let’s find out.” You lessened the space between the two of you in an instant, capturing his lips on your own. It was a fleeting kiss but it felt like fire and like it would last forever. You tasted faintly of something sweet on his tongue. The wild beating in his chest only quickened, proving to him that you felt everything he was feeling and more. 

By the time that you pulled away, his lungs ached for air but he wanted to deny them longer. You kept your hold on his face, pressing your forehead against his own. “Forgive me,” you murmured. “I don’t know if you wanted that.” 

His wide green eyes couldn’t look away from you. Ray shook his head, “No, no… I wanted that too. I wanted that a great deal. Do not apologize for that. If I were a braver man, I… I would ask for more, my sparrow.” 

You laughed, a playful sound as he called you the moniker that had been gifted to you. He forgot everything he knew that moment as his world clouded with his affection for you that he now very well understood to be a passion, and perhaps something more than that. It was then that it occurred to him that he had a question to propose. 

Ray murmured your name, your true name, so very softly. It caught your attention and softened those eyes of yours impossibly so. This tender secret in which you had given him was something that he very much treasured. “Listen, there is to be a ceremony in a week’s time, and I… I wanted to ask you if you would like to come.” 

“Inviting the thief who stole your crown jewels to the party, are you?” that teasing smile on your lips only ensnared him more. “How very brazen of you. Ray, I don’t know if even you could cover for me if that was the case.” 

He shook his head. “It’s a masquerade. No one will see your face nor know who you are at the party, you will merely be [Y/N] and not the trickster sparrow. You’re my guest, invited by me, and we can be together without the watchful eye of the guard. What do you say, my dear? Will you accompany me for the night per my request?” 

The faint heat of blush against his cheeks was very strong, but he was biting back the urge to stutter and run away from his question. He feared if you said, but he also feared if you said yes. There was so much in the answer that he could only wait for you to make up your mind. Instead of giving him a direct answer, you merely leaned forward and brushed your lips to his cheek. 

“Normally, I would turn down a wealthy suitor,” you teased. “But, since it is you, my prince, I will make an exception for you.”

You said yes. 

Ray swallowed his nerves and gently pressed a small parcel into your hands. “Wear this,” he told you in a soft voice. “As long as you are wearing this mask, I will know it to be you.” 


	7. Chapter 7

As silly as it sounded, you felt like you were on cloud nine. 

You had shared a kiss with Ray. That hadn’t been what you thought you would be capable of doing but in the heat of the moment, you found yourself drawn to him. There had been no stopping that feeling as it brewed inside of you. Zen had been right. You had feelings for him and they were really genuine. 

The clatter of your own heart in your ears had been telling enough to prove to you that your affection for your friend was something strong. To think, you, the sparrow, the thief, the errand maker for the bloody Red Hood, had fallen deeply in love with the prince of the kingdom in which you resided. 

It seemed like something out of a fairytale. 

Your heart betrayed how you tried to keep a straight face as you exited the castle walls, tucking the gift into your satchel. You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing nor feeling the glee inside of you. It was the first time in your life that you felt like you could smile so widely and freely. There was nothing in this world that could have felt more pure-hearted than the feeling you had when you were with Ray. 

The forest surrounding the castle blanketed you on your walk back to the hideout, and as you made your way through the familiar path, you shrugged your hood over your head and continued to make your steps without thinking hard about anyone seeing you in such a state. At least, you thought that you wouldn’t have to worry about that. 

You stepped past a hollow tree and felt something clutch at the back of your cloak, shoving you to the ground and onto the dirt with a loud thud. You exhaled, cursing yourself for not staying on your guard in these woods. You scrambled, trying to jump to your feet and hurry away from whoever had thought they could take you. 

But, a deep voice stopped you dead in your tracks. 

**“So, you’ve fallen in love with the prince.”**

_ That voice, _ you swallowed, dry. 

Turning your head, you met the gaze of cruel golden eyes that bore deeply into your soul. It was your boss. It was the one and only Red Hood, standing tall and without fear as he had discovered the secret that you had been trying to keep from him all this time. Even with the mask that he was wearing, you knew that this secret of yours now belonged to him. 

Just as you did. 

“It’s not what you think,” you tried to say, however futile it was. 

He took a step closer and you scrambled back, further and further until your spine made contact with a tree trunk, halting your escape. It wasn’t like you could run. He owned you, he had control over you and no matter where you went, he would find you. Red Hood knew that, but he liked to watch people break apart and squirm. 

His eyes never left yours. “Oh, I don’t care if you’ve become deeply infatuated with the prince, little sparrow. As a matter of fact, the fact that you’ve convinced him to be utterly devoted to you is all the more useful to me.” 

The bile in the back of your throat dared to bite at your mouth. As much as you tried to put on your tough mask and face Red Hood, you would never be able to hide the fear in the back of your mind. It didn’t matter how big you made yourself feel in front of him, or however many times you did your job better and better to make him look away from you in suspicion. 

That fear that you had as a child of that man looking at you with such contempt, animosity, and his raised hand posed to strike? It would forever exist inside of you. You knew that. you knew as you grit your teeth and braced yourself, he would laugh in your face and at your fears. He knew his power and control. 

You turned your head from him, closing your eyes and praying for the moment to end before it even dared to start. “...” 

You felt his hand press against your cheek, yanking your attention back onto him and demanding you to open your eyes. 

Lying to Red Hood meant that you would be punished, disposed of, or put to use somewhere you never wanted to imagine.  _ Don’t kill me _ , was the single thought in your mind. All that happiness you had was torn away from you just as quickly as you had let it into your life. You weren’t thinking of the prince anymore, you were thinking of how cold the embrace of death would be. 

Death might have been better than punishment, or whatever he wanted to ask of you, no, demand of you to do. Yet, no matter how hard things became, you couldn’t bring yourself to bow your head and accept death as an option.

“What do you want from me?” you asked, voice quivering as you spoke up. It wasn’t your bravest moment, but you never felt like you could be brave with this man looking at you and demanding you to do anything. “If you’re going to kill me, you might as well go for it. I know that you think I’m more trouble than I’m worth.” 

“Kill you? Hahaha. Do you know how much this can benefit me? You’ve tricked that prince with your heart and now he trusts you. This is perfect. This is far more useful to me than your petty crimes, little sparrow. As a matter of fact, to make up for the fact that you lied to me, I think this big secret of yours means that I won’t have to dispose of you so soon for this. In fact, I may even forgive your lies.”

He wanted to make a deal. 

What choice did you have?

Red Hood wanted to use you. He wanted to use Ray. Your heart screamed at you the entire time he spoke, warning you that Red Hood would ask you to do something that you may not be able to bring yourself to do. But, he wasn’t giving you any options. You had no choice but to listen to him as long as he spoke. 

His hand left your face and you remembered to take a breath, breathing in deeply the air that you had denied yourself as Red Hood chuckled at your pitiful expression. He pulled away and glanced at the bit of parcel on the ground. He lifted it and peaked into the fabric that it was withholding, noting that it was a mask.

Even without seeing his face, you knew that his lips were devious and cruelly pulled into a smirk. “Oh, this is even better. He’s invited you to his coronation.”

_ His what?  _

Red Hood glanced back at you, not at all bothered by that look on your face. “Don’t tell me the pathetic prince didn’t inform you that he is ascending the throne in one week’s time. This ball is his celebration. All in the land are invited to come. I now believe I understand why he picked this theme for the party. He doesn’t want the palace guard to know that he’s in love with a criminal.” 

“N—No,” you whispered. “I’m…” 

He wasn’t wrong. 

You were just as much a criminal as he was. You accepted that fact.

What you couldn’t believe was the fact that Ray didn’t tell you what the party was for in the first place. Your friend was going to take over the kingdom. He would have more freedom than he ever had before, and that was a big deal, why hadn’t he said something? And, why hadn’t he told you that he planned it so that he could spend his entire night with you without worrying about your fate? 

“Tsk, tsk. Don’t fool yourself, sparrow. I don’t care about your feelings or what you’ve done with him. What matters to me is that this prince is in love with you, and that trust is everything I need,” he held the gift in his hands. “I do believe I’ve decided what you’re going to do. Now, listen very closely to me because if you do not do as I ask, I will kill you.” 

The venom in his voice told you he would. 

“You’re going to go to the coronation. You’re going to be his date for the evening, and you’re going to distract him,” Red Hood said. “Then, you’re going to slip away from him just as the party starts to get crowded. The staff will be busy watching the guests and that means you will be able to slip out without watchful eyes, and once you’re free?” 

You stared at him, waiting in silence and dread. “And, then?” 

“You’ll steal the king’s crown from the throne room and bring it back to me. The crown for your life, little sparrow. If you do this for me, I’ll consider your debt null and void. You will be free to leave and do as you please, but if you fail? I will show you what hell on Earth is and you will know nothing but agony and the taste of your own blood till you beg to die.”

The laugh, his laugh, it was so wicked and calculated that you could do nothing but press your hands to your lips and choke back a sob. Red Hood dropped the parcel on the ground in front of you, letting the sounds of your whimpers flood the air as the tension grew impossibly. Those golden eyes spared you one more look. 

“And if you dare try to run, or get away from me. I will have the prince killed, as well. Just think, if you leave to save your own skin, the prince you love so much will be strung up from the rafters and given to the angry people that want the head of his mother and himself,” he began to walk away, not looking back at you. 

“Oh, but it’s your decision. You can obey me, you can run, you can fail me and die, or the prince can die. You decide, little sparrow, just as you decided to pay me your life for a bit of bread as a child, your payment here will be someone’s life or freedom.” 


	8. Chapter 8

The day came before he knew it. 

It was strange to think that the pieces had finally come together for him and that he would be taking the crown after all this time. This seemed more like a dream than anything but the queen assured him that it was time for him to become the man that his father always knew him to be. 

He just had to be prepared to present himself to the rest of the world with a strong face. They thought him to be a sickly boy but he had to prove that murmur wrong. He wasn’t sure about it, but, it was his fate and he had been preparing for years to take this spot in the line of ascension. It was the way that it was meant to be. 

Ray went about his tasks that entire week like clockwork, practicing what he needed to say and touching upon the last of what he needed to prove to the queen he was ready. She deemed him ready that final morning and the rest would be history. The crown would be pulled from its tucked-away place that night and put upon his head. 

Would it be unreasonable to say that he was less excited about that prospect and more about the fact that you would be attending the party? 

He knew what it would feel like to take control of the kingdom, but what he didn’t know was what it would feel like to see you all dressed up at the party, offering your hand to him as he spun you around in a dance that he had been dreaming of ever since that night you stole a kiss from his lips. Speaking of that kiss, his lips still tingled at the memory. 

Ray had wanted more but he didn’t dare ask it of you. He was just happy that you had given such a high gift to him. It had caught him so off-guard that he didn’t even remember to tell you what the party was for. He was so caught up in the idea of inviting you that he didn’t even get to say that he would be able to make everything safe for you. 

He would make everything safe for the people again. 

No one would owe any debts in his kingdom, that would be the first order he would take his the crown touched his brow. It was a surprise, and he couldn’t wait to see your face. It wasn’t an insult to you nor a sentiment that he wanted you to owe him anything. He knew that you were trapped in a contract like one would find themselves in one of the books he read.

It wasn’t your choice and you had been bound to it since you were a child. It wasn’t fair to you to have to pay someone back for being a child who had nothing and no other choice but to take things to get by in this world. He had all this power and he was going to use it so that no one would ever hurt in the way that you were. 

This was a place of honor, and on his pride, he would never let anyone suffer from chains such as those weighing them down. 

He hadn’t told anyone about it. He had a feeling that the queen would enjoy his idea because it came from a place that the former king would have thought of. She had never strayed him wrong in thinking that he should try his best to be a good son who continues to keep the honor of his father on his mind when he ruled over the people.

She would take care of foreign affairs and he would protect the homeland. It would be a time of true prosperity. That all started tonight, Ray thought, as he dressed for the evening and watched as the many guests arrived from the homeland and from the surrounding kingdoms to celebrate him and his new spot on the throne. 

There was a puddle of nerves in the pit of his gut, but he did his best to swallow it down and put on the friendly face that had been drilled into him. He had to be everything that one expected a prince to be and more. The thought lay heavy on him as he pulled the mask over his face and nodded, knowing that it was time to greet the world sooner rather than later. 

And, it was time to see you once more. 

The party was in full swing when he joined the guests, the people chatting and enjoying themselves to their heart’s content. There were so many people, so many people flooding in the castle that had been barren save for the safe for such a long time. He was amazed, frankly, as the families of high status were mingling with those of common birth. 

The world may not have been a perfect place as he had idealized, but it felt like for just a single moment on the floor of the ballroom, it could be everything that his father wanted. He wanted the people to be happy and to feel as though the entire kingdom was united no matter what status you were born into or what your circumstances were. 

Ray was going to make good on that idea. 

It was another thing entirely to watch amongst this sea of people without a single one of them knowing that he was the prince. He was afforded this luxury by the queen, she wanted him to enjoy some fun before he introduced himself and this was the perfect way to do so. It was also an excuse for you to be on the castle grounds without anyone bothering you. 

It was a benefit not only to him but to you as well. 

He took his time wading through the people and smiling at the people. He really did feel like he was free at that moment, able to exist without anyone knowing who he was, or the fact that he had a big curse on his head. He wondered if this was what it felt like or you to be someone who no one knew and someone who had nothing to fear but the vastness of the open world in front of them. The beat of the music around him made the world come alive in a way that he couldn’t piece into words. 

The only thing that was missing was his guest of honor.

He did try to enjoy himself, for the time being, just letting the freedom that washed over him until he felt something tap against his shoulder. 

He turned around to see a familiar mask gracing your face in front of him. It was a mint-colored mask with gems etched onto the right side, and a gold floral pattern etched into the fabric. A brown feather gently tucked into your hair told him enough, it was the long-awaited sparrow of his dreams. A smile came to him fast. 

This mask may have obscured your features to him, but he knew, he knew that it was you because he had given you this mask to wear for him. You didn’t say a word, but he offered you his hand, “Would you care to join me for a dance?” 

You took his hand and he whisked you away. 

Spinning around and around the dance floor, he could feel his pulse race as your aura surrounded all of his senses. He had long imagined what it would be like to enjoy a dance with you in a crowded room, but as it turned out, it was like the rest of the world didn’t exist when you were with him. 

You were the only one that mattered. Ray could almost chuckle at that fact. Of course, after spending so much time with you, existing where no one could see the secrets that danced between your lips and your longing smiles, of course, he could only focus on you when the rest of the world was with him. It was all that he wanted. 

More than the crown, more than all the power in the world, more than all the money he could own, more than anything he had ever imagined. He was being presented an honor tonight that most people could only dream of and yet, the only thing that he wanted was more time with you. He wanted to be able to exist in this moment of freedom with you. 

He almost didn’t need words to convey that. 

Ray somehow felt that you understood his longing because your hand gripped his just a bit tighter when he met your gaze. Perhaps, this longing that he felt was much stronger than a crush. He didn’t know what it felt like to be in love with someone, other than what he had read in books but when it came to you, something made of flesh and bone? 

Everything he knew was thrown out the window when you came into the picture. 

He wasn't upset about that, he welcomed this confusion with open arms and a smile. You may have been a thief, but the only thing that you truly stole was his heart. That wasn't a crime, though, and he would gladly let you steal his heart from him over and over if it meant that he had a chance to be in your company. This was everything that he wanted and at that moment, it felt like he was truly this blessed prince instead of one cursed to forever stay in the castle he was born to. 

He hoped that the dance would never end, but the music did come to a halt and you stared at him for the longest moment, something at the corner of your lips as if there was something that you had wanted to tell them. "I'm happy you came," he said. 

"Thank you for inviting me," you said, automatically. "I've never seen you look happier, my prince." 

"And I've never seen you so dazzling," he returned. There was a faint blush on his cheek that he couldn't hide away, not from you. There was a smile on your lips but it didn't seem to meet your eyes as it normally did. "I mean it. Everyone in the room hasn't taken their eyes off of you. You've managed to enchant the entire kingdom just by being yourself with me. If I didn't know any better, I would dare say that they think you're royalty while I'm merely a commoner vying for your attention." 

The laugh on your lips was weak for some reason. 

"No," you said. "They're all looking at you, Ray. You're to be our king and they know a kind soul when they see one. You're going to be amazing." 

Oh, so you knew the truth. 

Ray tucked a strand of stray hair behind your ear with a smile. "Thank you, [Y/N]. You've always believed in me and seen me for someone more than that. I want to be a great king so you'll be proud of me." 

You looked away from him, your hand slowly removing itself from his grasp. "I am proud of you, Ray," you whispered. "I always will be. I hope that you'll never forget just how much you mean to me, and I hope that no matter what happens, you'll always think of me fondly." 

Why were you saying such things? It wasn't like you were going away forever. He knew that you would always come to visit him, even if he was the king. He leaned over and gently brushed his lips to your own in a gentle peck. You didn't push him away. You accepted that kiss as if your life depended on it. His heart raced and his knees felt weak, but it confirmed everything that he had been long thinking about. He was in love with you and he wanted to be by your side forever. He wanted you to want to be by his side. The future could be something amazing once this evening was over, but he could say the same of you. 

He hoped that you would forgive him for setting you free from your chains. 

"I can say the same," he murmured, his forehead pressed against your own. "I hope you'll always keep me deep inside your heart." 

Silence overtook the two of you for a single moment, a solitary moment where the world didn't matter, just the feeling that the two of you felt for each other. The moment was broken when a hand brushed against his shoulder, Yoosung come to grab his attention, of course. 

"I hate to interrupt, my prince, but your presence has been requested by King Han," he smiled, rather apologetically to Ray and you. "It's a pressing matter that needs to be discussed. I hope your friend won't mind if I cut in?" 

"..."

"It's alright," your voice came from his side. You pressed your hand against his shoulder for a long second and squeezed. "Go on, my prince. You've got matters of state to attend to. I'll be here when you return, okay?" 

Ray smiled at you. "I promise I won't be long." 

"Take your time," you said. 

He spared you one more look as Yoosung lead him away from you, and he felt like something was amiss in those eyes of yours that he loved so very much. He didn't want to press you about anything that may be bothering you. He imagined that perhaps your nerves were a bit out of sorts from being in the castle. He knew that you were safe, though, as long as you wore the mask that he had given to you, nothing would come to harm you. 

Right?


	9. Chapter 9

“Look at you,” hand brushing against the glass. “Every bit of a prince’s date.” 

A wolf in sheep’s clothing was more like it. 

You stared at the reflection in front of you. Sure, you looked the part of someone who would be attending a party but you knew the truth: You were nothing but a thief who was going to abuse the only relationship that you had ever made. It didn’t matter if it was against your will, you had tried nothing to get yourself out of this mess. 

You bowed your head and accepted that you were going to do what Red Hood told you to do. It was what you always did. A little songbird that knew who owed them. 

Clenching your fists tightly at your sides, you swallowed down the self-loathing in your heart. You sincerely didn’t want to go through with it but you had to do this. 

Red Hood would kill the prince if you hesitated. 

At this point, as much as your heart detested the person that you were, you might have accepted your own death if it meant that Ray lived. You were scared, sure, anyone naturally would be fearful of the end if it was placed in front of them. But, Ray was important to not only you but the rest of the small kingdom. 

You knew that the queen had been whisking people away, and you knew that something wasn’t right with her rule. If she was allowed to continue, then combined with the power Red Hood had in the sea and land underneath her nose, everyone would know the taste of absolution. It couldn’t keep going on like that. One villain was enough. 

Ray was a gentle soul.

He would help the people in every way that he could. You had faith in him, more than you had faith in anyone on this planet. His kind smile flickered in the back of your mind. He was truly selfless and fiercely loyal to his aspirations. The kingdom would be in good hands whether you were banished or killed. 

It pained you to know that you wouldn’t see him ever again after tonight. That made the night all the more bittersweet. You wanted to imprint a lasting memory of him in your heart for the future when you wouldn’t have him closeby any longer. For his sake alone, you wanted to ensure that the night was something perfect. 

If that was all you could gift a king, then you would give it to him. 

Your heart would always belong to him. 

Pulling the mask over your face, you gave one last look into the mirror. Sufficient enough. Nobody would ever know who you truly were, not even the guard who had a glimmer of your face underneath your hood once before. Funny, all you ever wanted was to be able to show your face to other people without worrying about what would happen if they knew your face enough to match it to the fleeting wanted poster that existed. 

Now you had it. 

“I expect you to be back here before midnight,” Red Hood’s voice drew you from your thoughts. He was waiting for you outside your room. “Not a moment later. Don’t disappoint me tonight, Sparrow. You remember our deal and I will make good on it if you dare try to escape.”

You clenched your teeth. 

He already knew that you were cornered, but this man just wanted to watch you squirm. He gained a sick delight out of making people feel powerless. You knew that look in his golden eyes better than you knew the back of your hand. That was why you bit back every horrible thing that you wanted to say about him. 

It was one thing to be underneath the heel of a monster, but to fight back when you knew that held all the cards? That was a fool’s errand. Zen had warned you to be careful with what you were doing and now you were reaping the price of not heeding his words. You wished that you had listened to him or that you would have tried harder to dodge Red Hood’s suspicion. 

But, you knew that nothing you could have done would have changed a thing. 

His eyes were everywhere and his power was unstoppable. It didn’t matter how far you ran or how much you hid, Red Hood would find out what you were from hiding from him and he would take it away from you for his gain. That was how he got his power and you would never forget that fact as long as you lived. 

Red Hood smirked. Leaning over, he tucked a feather into your hair without even budging. “There we go, a reminder of your place, little birdie. Now, run along, enjoy your little evening with the prince for as long as you want. Just remember what you owe me.” 

Never tearing your eyes away from him, you forced yourself to smile. You weren’t going to let him see you cry again. “Understood.” 

—

It didn’t take long to find him in the crowd of people. He stood out like a sore thumb as he gazed upon everyone around him and got used to the feeling of existing amongst the people. Even in a mask, you’d seen his smile and known it to be him. You would know those lips anywhere and you would know him to be the one amazed by the smallest detail. 

Pushing aside the plans ahead, you tapped twice on his shoulder and garnered his attention. He smiled at you, and your chest pulled hard. The pang of regret and loathing biting at you. “Would you care to join me for a dance?” 

You took his hand and he whisked you away. 

Spinning around and around the dance floor, you could feel your heart race as he invaded your senses from all sides. You had wondered what it would feel like to be so close to Ray while the rest of the world could see you, but as it turned out, you felt like it was no different than when you were alone with him in the garden. 

It was like the rest of the world didn’t exist when you were with him. 

You would enjoy the time that you had with him while you could. You didn’t want the memory of his warmth to be bathed in sadness. Ray was a great dancer, and he knew just what to do to make you let out a little gasp. 

When you were alone and closely knit, he would be prone to trip over his own feet but when he had to be the dazzling prince? All that fear and shyness dissolved around you. He stood proudly and tall with no trace of that edge. 

He was every bit a price as much as you were a thief. 

As it was meant to be. You had only wished that your circumstances had been different. Would it be the same if Ray had been born of the commonwealth and able to ask you for your hand as anyone else would be able to do if they so wanted? What would Ray have been like if he wasn’t trapped behind the tall walls of his palace? 

Would he still stutter and stammer whenever you managed to show him something that he had never seen before? Would he still look at you with those dazzling eyes? Would he still grasp your hand with the tenderness only given to someone you care greatly for? Would Ray still want to kiss you in the same feverous way? 

Would you still want to kiss him with the same vigor? 

Yes, you thought. It wouldn’t matter if he was rich or not, it didn’t matter if he was a prince or not, you could see yourself falling deeply entranced with his soul over and over again. Perhaps in your next life, it would be possible that you both could love each other without fearing the weight of the world on your shoulders. 

You could only pray. 

If only you were the praying type. 

You never wanted this dance to end, but the band slowed their music down and you and he came to a rest in the middle of the ballroom. Your hand that gripped his shoulder just wouldn’t let go of him at all. "I'm happy you came," he said. 

"Thank you for inviting me," you said, automatically. "I've never seen you look happier, my prince." 

"And I've never seen you so dazzling," he returned. "I mean it. Everyone in the room hasn't taken their eyes off of you. You've managed to enchant the entire kingdom just by being yourself with me. If I didn't know any better, I would dare say that they think you're royalty while I'm merely a commoner vying for your attention." 

There was a faint blush on his cheek that he couldn't hide away, not from you. There was a smile on your lips but it didn't seem to meet your eyes as it normally did. If anyone was looking at you, you had no idea, you had only cared for his eyes on you. He looked so happy, so very happy, and you truly did wish that you could feel his joy. 

It was selfish of you to linger like this. Your time was on a deadline but you wanted to stay with Ray forever. He couldn’t tell that anything was amiss and you were happy about that. At least, he would never know the truth. 

It didn’t stop your guilt. 

Ray tucked a strand of stray hair behind your ear with a smile. "Thank you, [Y/N]. You've always believed in me and seen me for someone more than that. I want to be a great king so you'll be proud of me." 

You looked away from him, your hand slowly removing itself from his grasp. "I am proud of you, Ray," you whispered. "I always will be. I hope that you'll never forget just how much you mean to me, and I hope that no matter what happens, you'll always think of me fondly."

He leaned over and gently brushed his lips to your own in a gentle peck. You didn't push him away when he took the kiss. You accepted that kiss as if your life depended on it. It did, in a way, your hope in him depended on how he would be able to remember you. You knew, with a bittersweet heart that you had found the person that you wanted to love forever, just as your parents had someone that they loved so much that they could never part from, not even in death. 

It was funny, your parents had left you behind with the memory of a love story that the rest of the world would never know and now you were leaving Ray with a love story that never got to begin. Your future was bleak but you had faith in him and where his dreams would take him. He was going to get to do great things. 

You would love to see him grow from afar, even if all that remained of you were tonight. 

You hoped that one day he would be able to forgive you for leaving him. 

"I can say the same," he murmured, his forehead pressed against your own. "I hope you'll always keep me deep inside your heart." 

Silence overtook the two of you for a single moment, a solitary moment where the world didn't matter, just the feeling that the two of you felt for each other. The moment was broken when a hand brushed against his shoulder, a blond man came to grab his attention, of course. You knew him to be someone in his staff. 

It was time. 

Why couldn’t you have more time? 

"I hate to interrupt, my prince, but your presence has been requested by King Han," he smiled, rather apologetically to Ray and you. "It's a pressing matter that needs to be discussed. I hope your friend won't mind if I cut in?" 

"..."

"It's alright," you spoke up. It was time to say goodbye. You pressed your hand against his shoulder for a long second and squeezed. "Go on, my prince. You've got matters of state to attend to. I'll be here when you return, okay?" 

Ray smiled at you. "I promise I won't be long." 

"Take your time," you said. 

Ray spared one last look at you and despite the pain in your heart, you smiled at him. It was your parting gift. You hoped that this memory would persist in his mind despite what he may come to think of you once the night was over. It would be what it would be and you were okay with that, you had no choice but to be okay with that. Still, once he was far gone from your sight, you turned your back and started your trek to return to the life of a criminal and not the welcomed guest of the prince. 

No matter what you seemed to do, tears burned at the cusp of your vision. You would always be a thief in the night. 

—

The trek to the room where the crown was being kept was not a long-shot from where you were. It was just out of sight and mind where the party guests wouldn’t think to bother. You skillfully made your way through the halls as you had the last time that you were here, ducking and hiding out of the line of sight of a few guards till you were certain you were in the clear. 

The door was locked, but you expected as much, tucking a pin from your satchel, you fiddled with the heavy lock until it opened with a clatter. 

It was too easy, but it had been nearly this easy the last time when you took the gems from this room. Red Hood had wanted the jewels from the crown the first time but now he wanted the crown itself. 

_ Why? _

A crown was easier to track down and more pointedly something that the queen would want back if it was taken. What was it about the crown that he wanted? Weren’t the gems not enough? It didn’t make much sense to you, but you couldn’t help but wonder what the heck his goal was. You were risking all of your livelihood for a crown.

_ Why?  _

Shutting the door, you entered the room, breathing in deeply. You were taking your time to inspect the room for longer than you had the last time. Along the wall was tapestry and paintings of former kings and queens, faces you didn’t know but you knew to be of a long line of people who were given their divine right by blood. 

Pausing at the end of the line, you found a painting that had been harmed, or at the very least—

Tampered with?

“Huh?” 

It was the queen, her blonde curls framing her face elegantly. Her hands resting upon Ray’s shoulders as she was depicted with a bright smile. For someone that you knew to be not all they seemed, this was made to paint her to be a saint. Yet, as your eyes followed the line that should have led to the king’s face, you narrowed your eyes. 

Distorted, the painting was distorted, almost as if you weren’t meant to know what his face looked like. 

Burned, perhaps?  _ No _ , you stared harder.

Something wasn’t right about it. But, you weren’t sure what. The face should have been clear but it wasn’t. Granted, it could have been the darkness in the room and the fact that the painting stretched to the ceiling but it didn’t feel right. There was a knot in your stomach but you tore your eyes away from the painting to look on ahead, to where the crown was waiting on a stand. 

You didn’t have time to play guessing games with spirits or magic in a castle that you knew to be cursed. If Ray was cursed, who was to say that the castle didn’t have other magic within it? You didn’t want to find yourself at the end of an angry spirit or witch. That was the last thing that you needed to deal with. 

“There it is,” you murmured. “That’s it.” 

The crown, the symbol of status and power of the king, and the very thing that was going to save Ray from being harmed. Putting aside every feeling in your gut, you walked forward and wavered as your hands came to rest over the crown. You hesitated, knowing that this was the crime that would force you to run for the rest of your days. 

You knew not where you would go or what you would do once you were free, but you knew that this was the point in your life where you had no choice. It wasn’t as if you had ever had a choice in the first place. Red Hood had owned you for as long as you could remember and he would own you until you returned this to him. 

Heavy was the hand that held the crown, you thought. 

Willing yourself to do it, you reached out once more and took a hold of the crown. It weighed nothing in your hands but it weighed everything inside your heart. Glimmering in silver and gold, this was the price of your soul. This was the price of your freedom. This was the price of your happiness. This was the price of Ray’s life. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, once more, eyes darting in the direction of the painting of Ray. You meant it, even if he would never know how deeply sorry you were for everything. 

This small object… this crown… 

It held all the power in your world. 

Turning from the platform, you started to head for the door to leave, but you were stopped by the sudden slam in front of you as moonlight poured into the room and fire illuminated your features by a group of strangers, strangers you knew to be dressed like the guard for the castle. 

Your eyes widened at the sight, almost in shock that someone had appeared when you had seen no sign of guards in nearly a half-hour. 

Your body didn’t seem to react, stunned to silence as you and the guards just stared at each other trying to figure out the purpose. By the time you remembered that you needed to run, that you needed to duck out the window as fast as possible, one of the guards shouted, “A thief! Come to steal the crown! Seize them!” 

The crown dropped to the floor in a clatter but it was too late. 

You were captured just as quickly as you had been found. 


	10. Chapter 10

The warmth of your hand was all he wanted. 

Ray felt like something was wrong the moment that he left your side. He wasn’t sure what it was that made him feel that way but he knew, he just knew that he had to get back to you as soon as he could because of the dread in his guts. He smiled politely, however, when he greeted the man that had wanted to speak with him. 

“Hello,” he nodded his head. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, King Han. I heard a great deal about you from your interactions with my parents.” 

The Kingdom in which Jumin Han resided was just next to this one. They were more inland, often making a trade with the Kim family to get to the seas for travel in times of prosperity and when war was afoot. 

They were allies and they had always been, but the treaty between the two countries had been given much more attention when Jihyun and Jumin became friends at a young age. 

The young princes wanted the best for their people. Jumin was excellent at mediating problems and getting people to agree and it had led his people to enjoy vast wealth. Just as Jihyun wanted his people to know what it felt like to be on equal footing with the royalty, and the people had known what it felt like to have wealth in adoration. 

It had been their dream to see their countries both reach new heights of harmony. 

The ground had just been muddled after the accident, after the loss of their king, the queen had kept things running as smoothly as she could with the aid of King Han now and again. But, her grief had kept her close to the castle and not long on trips, which meant that she was often unable to meet with him in person. His connection to both of Ray’s parents was still palpable and strong. 

He knew it had to be because his mother had been speaking with King Han when he saw her at the start of the party, though now she was nowhere to be seen. He thought of her greeting other party guests and important dignitaries that he would be speaking with for the rest of the evening himself after his official ceremony. 

_No matter_ , Ray thought, he had to focus on this task before he could return to his last night of momentary freedom. 

The warmth of your hands on his shoulders had long vanished but he could feel it in his heart. With that keeping him grounded, he knew that he could put on a bold face and be the prince he was born to be. 

“Likewise,” Jumin replied. “Your mother informed me that you were on the dance floor, I hope you don’t mind my intrusion. I merely wish to discuss with you your plans for the future, I’ve not had the chance to hear it from your mouth yet. Though, I’ve heard from Rika that you’re passionate about many of the same projects your father was.” 

Ray could focus on this. 

He had planned for quite some time how he would shift control, and how he would try to bring the kingdom beyond where his father had planned and even more into the future ahead. His father had plans for ensuring that the people never had to go hungry or worry about a thing. 

Ray wanted to just build upon that and ensure that the people never went into debt. 

Ray had learned through you that so many people were struggling with horrors that he couldn’t even begin to imagine. The wealth that was stored with his family was doing nothing. He didn’t need to live a lavish life, he was planning on funneling money into the commoner’s hands and growing their small economy. 

If the people prospered, only then could the king prosper. 

Although the memory of his father has skewed thanks to the accident, he liked to think that he was doing the right thing by expanding this dream. You were his inspiration, you were his everything, and he wanted to thank you for letting him realize that he could do more for his people than go back to what it used to be. 

Things can’t always go back to what they once were, he accepted this, just as he accepted that his memory of his childhood would never return to him. However, things can change for the better and be improved every single day. 

That was his theory and it would all start with stopping the dominance of the poor that had no power to stop it. He glanced between Jumin and his advisor, a woman with short brown hair. This was something that he could handle. 

He had trained for this and the thought of what he was going to do for you was what gave him the strength to walk ahead. “Yes,” Ray nodded. “In fact, I was hoping to expand on some of his plans. He was looking ahead but I don’t think that he was looking far enough.” 

“Oh?” that piqued Jumin’s interest. “Is that so?” 

Ray continued, “If you would like to discuss this further, I’d be happy to do so. I was hoping to speak with you and a few of the other dignitaries after the coronation about the expansion of our old treaties. It’s one thing to give the people reason to hope, but it’s another to place it in their hands instead of letting it be a dream to work to.” 

“Intriguing,” Jumin answered, sincerely. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve planned, then. Your father never let me down in terms of thinking ahead so I expect the same if not better from you.” 

“I wouldn’t want to let anyone down,” Ray smiled. “Please, enjoy the party for the time being until time. I would hate to cut into the celebration before we get to matters of state.” 

He meant that. 

He wanted to ensure that people could live their lives without fear or pain, and it was thanks to you that he was so dedicated to this. Ray had once been dreaming of the winding sea in the distance but now all he could see was progress and hope in himself. 

He was trapped in this castle but no one would dare be trapped like that if he had his way. Not now and never again. A good king knew when to help his people. Ray knew from the feeling in his gut that this was the right thing to do. 

Ray waved the pair off and returned in his hunt to find you. However, he couldn't manage to see you anywhere. 

Perhaps… You were hiding or you were taking in the scenery? After all, as long as your mask was on your face, you would be utterly protected against those that thought they knew your face or your moniker. You hadn't had many chances to exist without eyes on your back. 

He frowned, spending a good fifteen minutes looking around for you but to no avail. It disheartened him but he didn't want to think he couldn't find you. His nerves were warning him that something was not right. But, without you in his sight and the party alive with celebration, it contrasts greatly against his fears and made him question everything. 

Was he just worried because you couldn't be found? 

Or was he worried that you had left the party early, feeling as if you weren't worthy of the time that a king had to share? You said you would be waiting for him, but he could imagine how your pride would make you bite your tongue and leave if you thought you may make it harder for him to have a good night. 

He wanted you here, he wanted you to see the party come to a close.

He needed you to know that he was setting you free. Ray didn't want you to live in fear anymore. He wanted to see your smile shine brightly as you came to visit him without fear in your heart. You were more than the thief that you had been trained to be by that man. 

You were someone he loved dearly and he needed to find you. His search was cut short when the queen approached him. 

"It's time," she urged him with a smile he knew he couldn't argue against. "Let's get you in front of everyone. I hope you've prepared your speech, my precious son. It is time for you to stand where your father once stood. The people are waiting for you."

Disappointment lined his features as he realized that he wouldn't be able to speak to you until after his coronation. It couldn't be helped, however. He would have to push his worries to the back of his mind. 

A part of him wondered if the nerves of what he was about to do were getting him. 

Could he be making something out of nothing? 

That is to say, you could be enjoying yourself at the party, and him thinking that something was wrong may just be from the jitters that came out from the crowning and the power he would soon have. 

Yeah, pre-coronation nerves. 

He did what he could to swallow them down, nodding at the queen. "Yes. I'm ready. Forgive me for making you wait." 

Her warm smile didn't put him at ease this time, for some reason. "Nonsense, you've been enjoying yourself all evening. Now, come, it's time." 

—

All eyes were on the Queen as she commanded attention from every soul. "I would like to thank all of our guests, allies, partners, and honored foreign dignitaries to our country. We appreciate your gracious presence in our midst for tonight, as my late husband would be honored to see his vision for the future come to life." 

"May he rest in peace," members of the crowd spoke softly. 

Rika repeated the phrase and smiled, her hands pressed in front of herself. "Tonight, we bestow the greatest honor a young prince can have and hold in his grasp. He has come of age, and it is his time to take the throne. From a very young age, he has committed himself to the study and prosperity of our people and he continues to wish for a brighter tomorrow for everyone, not just in our land, but in all lands. I ask you all to look to him as we gaze toward the future, one where we all see through the dreams of his father and beyond that."

"Ray, our future king, take your place and present yourself." 

Ray stood at the head of the room in front of the crowd. Everyone was staring at him, and he knew that they were whispering and speaking about him as he removed the mask from his mask to show his identity. Nobody had ever really gotten a good look at him, not since he had been a child, and he imagined it was cause for plenty of talks. 

He told himself to imagine that he was with you, as he tried to scan the crowd for your face to ground him. 

He still couldn't see you. 

He knew you had to be there, but he didn't think you would get too close when you were in the crowd. Even if he had ensured that you would be safe, he understood that you would be reasonably wary of anyone seeing you or your face. 

He wanted you to see him as someone brave and strong. He intended to make do on his promise and he wanted to show that he could keep his word, not just to you but to himself. He had to do this. He could do this. Even as everyone had their eyes on him. He knew that he could see this through. 

It was in his blood.

This was what Ray was meant to do. It was where he was meant to be, even if his heart longed for the sea and the sky and walls that had no borders. 

"Thank you for coming," Ray bowed his head to the crowd. "It's an honor to be in the presence of so many people who came here for me. For your time that you've graciously given me now, I will return to you after the ceremony. Feel free to speak to me, no matter your status." 

"I also ask that leaders and dignitaries of all our guests see me this evening. I have to discuss with you plans of revival and further gain for not only my kingdom but yours as well." That spurred much more whispers, given it wasn't common for a royal to lower their head to anyone. Yet, it was common for the former king to make everyone feel like they were worthy of his time. 

If anyone had been worried that Ray wasn’t every bit as kind as the king before him, this would surely leave them to discover the truth. He glanced back over his shoulder at his mother, the queen, she didn’t seem displeased with his actions at all. Though, she was standing to the side with a gentleman that he did recognize. Just to the right of the throne, quietly whispering something that he couldn’t hear to the man with red locks. 

Something about that man didn’t feel right. He knew everyone in this castle since he never left it. Every face that worked for them was one that he knew. This face, however, was not. He wasn’t amidst the many guests and he bore no sign of being from a foreign land, who was he, and what was he doing so close to the queen with a friendly look? 

Who was that? 

Why was he there? 

And, why did that callous smirk on his face instill so much fear into Ray? 

Before he could finish that thought, the room almost immediately silenced when the sound of heavy feet pounded against the ground and the doors to the ballroom slammed open, causing the band to stop playing and for the people talking to quiet down their murmurs to a hushed sound. Something was wrong. Something was very, very, very wrong. 

"Let me go!" 

"Quiet, thief!" 

Ray’s head whipped back from the crowd that he was standing in front of to stare with wide eyes, and a slack jaw. "No, no."

The guards were holding you by your arms, carrying you into the room and dropping you onto the floor with your arms behind your back, forced to stare up at him and the queen. You didn’t meet his gaze, and that made his stomach sink. What were you doing and how had you been caught? 

He raised a trembling hand to his face. He almost cried out your name but his mother’s hand pressed to his shoulder before he could do so. “ _You…_ ” 

“What happened?” she said. 

“We caught this thief in the act of stealing the crown,” one of the guardsmen spoke. One of the men that had trailed behind them presented the crown to the queen who took it from his hands. “And what is more, my queen, is we found these in their bag.” 

They were holding the stolen jewels that you had taken. 

A resounding and shocked gasp was heard from the crowd of people. Everyone was looking at you as if you committed blasphemy and in a way, you had. The act of stealing the crown was a sign of utter disgust and disrespect. 

Your mask had been removed and your hair disheveled. They were saying that you had stolen one of the most important things in the castle. They were treating you like dirt. He couldn’t believe this sight. Your whimper was quiet but he could hear it, hear how you were suffering. 

“That can’t be right,” Ray whispered. 

The crown was the one that belonged to his father and the jewels you had taken were the very ones that had been imbued into the crown. You had told him that your boss wanted the jewels, and after all this time, you should have given them to him. Why did you have the jewels and why did they find you with a crown in hand? 

Why did you still have them? 

Dread filled his gut. 

It didn’t make sense. 

That was when the thought struck him if you still had the jewels, that meant that you had possibly lied to him about being trapped… about having no choice but to obey your master… he didn’t want to even dare to believe it but they had found you with the crown, the jewels, and he hadn’t seen you since he had been taken away. 

He didn’t want to believe it, but the facts churning in his mind were starting to tell him that—

You had lied to him and used his kindness to get the crown for yourself. Ray thought he knew you, but this situation wasn’t right. “It has to be a misunderstanding,” he took his head. “Can we not hear them out? What do you mean you found them with the jewels and the crown?” 

The guardsman stared at the prince, sighing at his kindness. “I mean exactly that, my prince, we found them with the stolen property. They tried to run when we entered. There’s no other side to the story at this point. We caught the thief in the act. I am aware you are a forgiving person, but there’s no other way to explain what we saw.” 

His heart sputtered and cracked. You weren’t even trying to defend yourself. You wouldn’t look him in the eyes. Was it true? His eyes were burning hotly but he couldn’t cry in front of the world, that was not what a king did. Yet, he was on the brink of losing it. What was happening?

His voice wavered but he spoke to you directly, “Why did you do it?” 

“I had no choice,” you managed to say, still not meeting his gaze. One of the guards roughly pulled your hair back to make you look him in the eye, scolding you for not listening. Ray waved off their actions but he approached you on his shaking knees. “I had to do it. If I didn’t take the crown—”

“Spare us your excuses,” a voice spoke up from behind Ray. It was male, deep, and it came to a rest behind him, a hand touching his shoulder to make him stop walking before he reached you. “Excuse me, my prince. The queen knows you have a gentle heart, all of us do, but I need to inform you that this is the notorious criminal Red Hood.” 

Your head snapped to attention in front of him, wide eyes staring at the man behind him with such fear and acknowledgment. “...You!” 

A gasp erupted in the crowd, murmurs whispering and calling at the name of the criminal. The man only continued as he smirked down at you, “That’s correct. This young person is the criminal that you all live in fear of, and they masquerade the streets as the lowly little Sparrow to get pity from everyone as not to give away their secret to the world. They have tricked many of you in our kingdom by making you see them as a child with no choice but to obey a cruel master.” 

Everyone knew of the Sparrow in a hood that duked through the streets without a care in the world, taking from the pockets of the rich and delighting in the process. They looked at them in pity as they carried about their tasks for Red Hood and always escaped the guards. What better cover for a crime lord than the face of an innocent young person? 

Gears were starting to churn in the minds of everyone. 

It started to click for many people. “But, they have no master, they are the one who has been pulling the strings and destroying our lovely kingdom. Cruelty knows many faces and this is the face of a liar. The original Red Hood that rose to power was killed many years ago by this crafty child and they’ve played many for a fool. I, at the behest of the queen, have been trying to catch them for some time now.” 

Ray was watching your face the entire time, as your widened eyes ran through a series of confusion, anger, rage, fear, sadness, and even more. You tried to speak up but the man next to him grew louder and louder as he spoke up.

“No… no…. No…! That’s not true!” 

“Their most recent crime is deceiving our future king, look as they lie right to his face about their actions. They came here to steal the crown and the jewels of our beloved king to sell to the black market for their own greed and personal gain. Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to interrupt the evening but in our midst is the greatest criminal in the land. We cannot let them escape or go unpunished. I suggest action be taken now. If they are here, lord knows that their lackeys could be hurting the rest of the town before they make a break for it.” 

The crowds got louder and louder around the two of you. Everyone knew of Red Hood and what the criminal lord was capable of. Ray only knew what whispers he had heard in recent years but he never could have imagined… that you… that you were…

He thought of the way your gentle lips pressed against his own and it soured in his heart and soul. 

How could you lie to him? Why would you use him? He didn’t want to believe it, but it was sounding more and more like he had been played like a fiddle to a criminal that only wanted him to believe that they loved him. 

Your eyes were dangerously filled with tears but even as his heart wept, he couldn’t help but think that you were trying to trick him even now. Why had he been so stupid? Why had he trusted you? Why had he listened? 

“Y/N,” Ray’s voice came to a lull. “Is what he’s saying true? Did you lie to me?” 

“Ray, I—I would never lie to you,” your voice was pained and sputtered. “I’m not Red Hood, listen to me, that man is— That man behind you is Red Hood! He told me if I didn’t steal the crown for him then he would kill you! I didn’t want you to die! If I didn’t take it, he would kill you, he would kill me and then you! I gave him the jewels right after I took them and I don’t know how they got into my bag! He must have—” 

Your voice stopped as if you were pulled into memory. Thrashing against the guards, you glowered at that man, “You! You slipped them into my bag before I left! Ray, please, don’t listen to him! He’s lying to you!” 

That man sighed next to Ray, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m terribly sorry. This wasn’t what I wanted to happen to you, my prince. I wanted to stop them before this happened so we could spare you the grief that would come if you knew the truth of what they were doing. Your mother found out that this criminal had been speaking to you from one of the servants, so she sought me out to find out if it was truly Red Hood. I’ve been chasing them for years but I never thought they would try something so vicious as deceiving our young prince.” 

You shook your head over and over, trying to get through to Ray but he had a case of tunnel vision. Nothing made sense to him anymore, not even his own thoughts, not even the sound of your voice chanting, “He’s lying, he’s lying, he’s lying!” 

That man with brown hair only shook his head, “I’m afraid it’s not a lie. If you don’t believe me, I should ask that the guard empty their bag and show us the contents.” 

The satchel was opened and dumped onto the floor in front of the crowd, and the contents inside revealed other stolen jewels and gems and most interesting of all, a mask made of scarlet that many would know belonged to the person with a vicious plan for the kingdom. 

In your bag was the mask of Red Hood. 

There was no denying it, even as you tried to protest. Despite everything, Ray couldn’t pull himself to look away from you. It felt like he was underwater and drowning. His world had been stomped on and broken to shreds. You had lied to him. You had tricked him. You had taken his love and stomped on it for your own personal gain. 

You hadn’t lied when you said you couldn’t ever love someone of high status. You only wanted him for his money and he had been stupid to fall for your lies. His gentle heart was breaking into pieces and all he wanted to do was cry. 

Behind him, the queen had turned away from the crowd, placing the gems back into the crown one by one, faint energy pulsing around the fingertips that would be naked to the eye unless you were truly looking in her direction. She breathed in, suddenly turning around and walking towards her son with a determined look on her face. 

“Ray,” she spoke with a firmness that forced him to look back. “It’s time for your first act as king. You know what you must do.” 

He stared at the crown for the longest time, spurned to look back at you as you tried to reason with him but he didn’t listen. Ray hesitated for a moment as he thought about all the time that he had spent with you and then, he turned and walked towards the queen. You would have to watch as he kneeled in front of the woman and she placed the crown atop his brow. 

When she announced him to the world, he turned around and looked at you with a deeply darkened look in his eyes. “I present to you, King Ray, the first of his name. Long may he reign.” 

And you looked directly into his eyes as his brow narrowed and a vicious look overwhelmed his once gentle features, erased was his smile and in its place was an angry scowl. No real amount of crying and apologizing would change the venom in his soul as he looked at you. No, you knew that the minute he stepped forward, and his voice echoed through the room. 

**“I order Red Hood to be taken to the dungeons where they will await trial for their crimes against the kingdom, its people, and the crown. Let them rot till we decide what punishment they deserve. May it be beheading or… to be ripped limb from limb by horses. No longer shall our people live in fear of you, you traitorous liar.”**


	11. Chapter 11

Darkness.

All you knew was the darkness. There was no trace of light in the dungeon and nobody to hear you scream, and even if they did, they wouldn’t care. You had been used and tricked by Red Hood. He threw you under the carriage and let you take the fall for his crimes. 

How anyone believed him, you had no idea. He just pretended to be some sort of knight for justice at the queen’s side, and since Red Hood was only known by the mask, it had been far too easy to cast his blame onto someone else. You dug your nails into the palms of your hands. You knew that you could never trust that man. But, you never thought he would do something like this. 

You knew he would make good on his death threats, but this? 

A pitiful sob escaped your throat. It didn’t make any sense. How had he made a deal with the queen and what was their plan? You knew that the queen wasn’t innocent and that she had made the people suffer far too much over the years. Red Hood must have found something that she wanted, or maybe they both were after the same goal?

No matter how you wracked your brain for an answer, you could find nothing. 

“No… no… no…! This is a mistake!” 

You wouldn’t dare close your eyes for more than a minute. Every time that you did, your vision would become overwhelmed with the look of betrayal and hatred in Ray’s eyes. He looked at you like you had shattered his world and in many ways, you had. You had tried to protect him by lying and taking that crown but had you had to do that?

Could you have told him the threat against your life? Would he have believed you? Would you have been able to give up information on Red Hood to him? You weren’t sure. You had always wanted to take the brunt of the pain for yourself due to your pride, and you had been so caught up in trying to ensure that Ray lived—

That you never even considered that maybe there could have been another option. If Ray bore the crown, that would have protected you from the queen’s wrath. He could have done everything to stop Red Hood from controlling you or forcing you to take the knife by the hand. Yet, you knew that no amount of pretending things could be different would fix it. 

The second the crown was on his head, something changed in his eyes. He became venomous and very spiteful, his gentle eyes gazing at you with malice. 

It was like you didn’t even know him. You had never seen that look in his eyes, nor did you think that Ray would be capable of such anger and venom. Then again, you had broken his trust and stomped on it for all he knew so he had every right to be upset with you. However, the way that he looked at you without even caring what your punishment would be may your blood curdled. 

Was this all that you would ever know? Would you die without showing Ray the sea? Would you die knowing that you had been played for a fool?? Would you die with a stain on your past that would forever line the pages of people’s memory? Would you become the demon in a bedtime story to make a child behave?

You knew that you were going to die, that was almost a given with the bounty on Red Hood’s head all these years. But, you could only pray now that it was a swift death without pain. Maybe in your next life, you would be able to be happy with Ray and show him the world that made him look so happy to learn about, but it seemed as though cruel fate would keep you apart. 

His anguished eyes would forever haunt you. 

Your cries died down after some time, your heart accepting that no one was going to come to your rescue to break you free. They were all scared of Red Hood, and what he said would happen would be the very thing to happen. You didn’t know his end plan but you did know that he was going to hurt everyone to get what he wanted. 

You clutched your hands together, praying silently to a God that you hardly spoke to, hoping and wishing that Ray, at the very least, would be okay. You had accepted that he might hate you after tonight but now you knew that he would hate you till the end of time. 

You hadn’t wanted things to turn out like this but Red Hood did. Once again, he sealed your fate because you made the wrong choice. 

Time passed, but there was no way of knowing how long you would be there. You pressed your head against the cold stone and waited, waited for something to change or something to happen. It was a long time before you heard the sound of footsteps and alongside that sound came the flicker of a torch-lit with fire. 

You didn’t bother lifting your head, even as a voice spoke up. “Excuse me, are you alright?” 

“What does it matter?” you retorted. “I’m already destined to face punishment. It matters not if I’m okay or not. If you’ve come to take me away, then do it.” 

Silence. 

Footsteps once again and a warm flame moved closer to your body, the dampness of the cold dungeon hit you all at once. You lifted your head and stared into mint eyes, mint eyes that felt like you had seen once before but couldn’t place the memory. “I don’t work for the queen,” he explained. “I’ve come to get you out of here before it’s too late.” 

“Why should I trust you?” 

“...Your friend, Hyun, he’s very worried about you,” he said, quietly. “He wants to get you out of here before it’s too late.”

Your stomach sank. Of course, Zen had found out about what happened to you. You knew that he wanted to protect you from being hurt but this was beyond even his power, and there was no way that he could help you. 

This castle was heavily guarded and even you had a hard time evading guards and now they were just waiting for someone to make a false move. 

Even if you ran, you’d be caught. 

Your wings had been clipped and frayed by the very people that you had faith in. 

“It’s no use,” you said. “I appreciate that you came this far on my account, sir, but there’s no way that you can get me out of here before the morning. I’ll be lucky if they let me live that long.” 

“You’re not Red Hood,” he continued, minding the dread in your voice and picking his words with great care. “You shouldn’t even be facing punishment right now. That man sold you out for his own gain.” 

That made you snap to attention. Your fingers gripped the bar of the cell that you resided in, as you stared at this man with a face that you couldn’t discern. His features were blurred by the hood he was wearing, or maybe the darkness, you weren’t sure. All you knew was his eyes. “Wait, wait, wait,” you stopped him. “How do you know who Red Hood is?” 

“It’s a long story,” he told you, sincerely, sinking to his knees to sit with you. “I’m not sure that you would believe me given the detail of events that have occurred in the past ten years. But, yes, I do know his identity and while I do not know what he wishes to gain here, he used you to get what he wanted and that was the queen.” 

You had no reason to believe this man at all, but you were desperate and he seemingly believed that you weren’t a guilty party. You had nobody else in the world on your side at the moment that could speak to you, so you wanted to listen and to learn what this man had to say. It might be enough to help you save Ray, if not yourself. 

“Surely the queen knows this,” you shook your head, incredulous. “She’s no saint and she’s not easily tricked… not as far as I can tell given the number of people disappearing nightly after they dare speak ill-will of her name.” 

The man frowned and gazed down at the ground. “You… you would be right about that. The queen has a plan under her belt right now and I imagine with Red Hood’s powers at her disposal, it’s only cemented her vision.” 

You tried to lean closer, to get a better look at this stranger that seemingly knew everything that you needed to know. “Please, sir, what does she want? I’m worried about Ray. I don’t want him to get hurt because those two are planning something nefarious. He may hate me now but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want him to be safe and happy.  _ Please _ .” 

“I suppose… I suppose you’re due that much, Sparrow,” he said as if he knew that he couldn’t hold in his secret any longer from the world. “I’ve been bearing this knowledge for so long on my own and I’ve not made any progress on my own to stop it. I… I’ve seen that you care deeply for him, and I know that your heart is true.” 

The fact that you had been willing to cry and beg had been enough to show the world that you were willing to submit your pride. You starred at him as he began to explain his story. 

“The crown that he wears is imbued with dark magic,” he explained. “The stones that are engraved into the metal are from a cavern deep in the mountains only known to the greatest users of magic in all the land. The people of this kingdom have long used the stone to give power to the crown. For a long time, rulers of this country would have their magician imbue loyalty and compulsion into the crown so that the wearer would be able to control the masses.” 

Magic? 

“There is no greater power than these stones, and when someone with a vast amount of power can channel their power into the stone, they can enforce anything they want. The queen wants to use the power of the royal stones to force Ray to follow her plans with an iron fist. She wants him to be the puppet king for her brewing armies. The people that go missing late at night are drafted into her army, and I’m afraid her reach has staggering numbers.” 

Suddenly, it was starting to make sense. How people just went missing and everyone didn’t dare to fight back against it. Everyone knew that something was wrong but they could only quietly think that it could be the queen. If anyone said it aloud, they would be taken away. If she had magic controlling everyone, then they could have been under her spell without even knowing it. 

Anyone in the village could have been compromised. 

Ever since you had learned that magic existed, it seemed to be used to destroy everyone that you loved and cared about. You wanted nothing more than to shatter every trace of magic that you had ever seen to free Ray from its hold and anyone else that was suffering against their will. 

“When she leaves the castle and travels to other lands, she is steadily stealing from their numbers and casting blame onto Red Hood every time for the sake of convenience. I imagine he heard of what she was doing and decided to work with her to get what they work. Or, perhaps he knows of the stones’ power and wants it for himself. I fear I do not know what it is he wants but he cannot be allowed to continue his terror alongside the queen.”

You swallowed, ignoring the pit that was growing in your stomach. “And, what does she plan to do with this army, sir?” 

His expression darkened as if clouded by a silent fear that even he didn’t want to breathe to life in case it truly happened. His fear was real. You knew that from the way his hands trembled against the torch he held close to his side. 

His voice dropped to a whisper, “She wishes to lay claim to all lands in our continent with whatever means necessary.” 

There was nothing you could do but breathe in deeply. For some reason, that didn’t surprise you in the slightest. If the queen was willing to use her son to destroy everything for her gain and was so willing to let everyone hate him instead of her, well, taking over everything was nothing to laugh at. To think that the queen not only held the power of the throne but magic as well. 

It was disgusting. 

Did greed ever cease? 

Would you ever find someone that didn’t long to own everything and everyone? You knew that you had with Ray, but he was trapped underneath a spell that would make him obey anything that she’d ask of him. His anger was true and tried. It would be impossible to reason with him if the crown was not removed from his head. 

Yet, you were trapped in this dungeon and you would never be able to do such a thing to save him from this horrible fate. This wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to make people happy, not destroy their last shred of hope. If he knew what he was doing he would be devastated. Even as you knew your fate was set and doomed, you couldn’t help but wish he could be better.

“Wait, that still doesn’t explain how you know  _ he’s  _ the real Red Hood and I’m not,” you stared at him, waiting for his answer. “Who are you? You can’t expect me to take all of this in and not know who you are in return.” 

The strange pulled the head from his head and you narrowed your eyes as you tried to discern his features. For some reason, you couldn’t commit any of it to memory. Even as you were seeing him in person. It was like something was stopping you from remembering or knowing what he truly looked like. 

And then, it hit you, it hit you like that time you had fallen from a hill trying to get away from a group of guards angry that you had taken from their boss. His mint eyes were the same ones that you had seen in the painting. 

The painting of the _ royal family _ , the painting that held a vision of Ray’s father that made you hesitate in the throne room. 

That could only mean one thing. 

“King… Jihyun…?” 

His eyes held a great deal of sadness to them. But, he nodded, confirming the sinking suspicion in your loins. “I’m afraid so. Ray is not the only victim of her magic. She also cursed me long ago and I was too naive to see it coming. Rather, I ignored all the warnings when I knew I should have done something and it is my blame alone that the people suffer.” 

That made you shudder in fear. If she was willing to curse the king and make everyone believe that he was dead, then what wasn’t she willing to do? If she would use her family as pawns to get what she’d always wanted, then she would have no problem killing you or anything that tried to get in the way of her dreams. 

“How are you alive…?” you whispered, reaching out between the bars to brush against the fabric of his cloth to ensure that you weren’t staring at a ghost or a vision. He was real. The king was alive and still breathing in front of you, underneath some kind of curse that he couldn’t defeat on his own. Much as his son. 

“I’m afraid that’s an even longer story,” he admitted. “And, I don’t have enough time to tell you all of the details. She grew angry with me because I wouldn’t agree with her way of thinking and the more that I pushed for my plans to allow the people to prosper instead of us, she turned against me and used her black magic to place a curse on me. Now nobody can remember my face, and no one can see me as who I am. She removed all my power from me and took it for herself. Now, I fear that she’s going to use Ray until he’s no longer useful for her cause as well. I cannot allow that to happen. He’s already in grave danger. He always has been.” 

And he couldn’t escape from it. 

He was cursed to stay within these walls no matter what happened. So, even if he could fight back, he would be trapped with the queen forever. No way you looked at it was going to help you get out of this mess, and now that you knew that you were going against magic and Red Hood, it felt like you had no hope at all. Even with the king here. 

It wasn’t like Jihyun had power, either. 

He was just as helpless as you were. Why was he telling you all of this anyway? Even if he let you escape, it was obvious that you could never return to this place if you got out. Nobody would believe you or come to your aid, even with the sympathy of Zen, you knew that his power was not going to be enough to help you. 

The most that Zen could do would be to send you on a boat to another country. 

You put two and two together, “Because of the curse that was placed on him when he was a child, right?” 

Jihyun looked away from you… almost as if there were more to the story than that. He opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of heavy boots came from the stairwell. He immediately put out the fire and pulled his hood back over his head, ducking into the darkest corner of the room to hide from view. Even if nobody knew his face—

He clearly couldn’t afford to be caught. 

His must have had some kind of plan to save Ray, otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to the trouble of finding you. You weren’t sure how much he knew about you or how he knew Red Hood, but you’d known from the look in his eyes that he hadn’t been lying to you. You were a liar, you had been raised around the biggest liars known to man. 

You knew one when you saw them.

Jihyun Kim was no liar. 

The footsteps stopped and you were forced to lift your head and stare up at a guard. He grinned at you with a sadistic glee in his eyes, “Alright, you, the king has demanded your presence. Lucky you, though, he hasn’t decided what punishment you’ll face for your crimes yet. Bloody Red Hood, I bet you know what’s coming for you, and I’m going to love watching it.” 

You bit your tongue to stop yourself from saying anything. There was no point in fighting their words right now. Red Hood hurt so many people and now you would have the eyes of everyone that he had ever used or hurt looking to you for a bloodbath. 

“...” 

He opened your cell and you were dragged away by the ones that had accompanied him, away from the king and any answers that you had. 


	12. Chapter 12

Impatience. 

Meaning irritation with the irrationality of the people that worked for the palace. 

Saeran could say with the utmost certainty that he despised anyone who wouldn’t connect the dots and figure out what it was that he wanted. He was the king, they were supposed to guess his needs and be ready to sate them at a moment’s notice. So much for that. These people were far too complacent and daft.

How dare they not listen to him and know what to do? Honestly, he thought with a scowl as he settled back on the throne, one hand tucked into his chin against the armrest as he spread his legs. It had been only a day and a half since he had awoken from his slumber and yet, it was hardly enough time to let him know what he wanted. 

Ray had let gone complacent and it showed in how nobody respected him. By all means, it was the reason that he was hurt in the first place. The little airhead had trusted a thief and what did that get him in the end? Oh, yeah, it got him a broken heart and the inability to function. 

That was why he had to come out and fix everything. 

As if awoken from a slumber that had been against his will for more than he was comfortable with, all he knew was the magic pouring into his veins made him stand at alert and with frothing rage. All he knew was that he had to destroy every single thing that caused him to wake up in the first place. 

And why was he on the throne? 

Because Ray let himself trust the villain and it burned him. He got too close to the sun and it burned him to a crisp. It had proven that he shouldn’t be in charge anymore, Saeran thought, if he couldn’t be trusted to function and keep himself safe, then Saeran was going to have to take it into his own hands to ensure that never happened again. 

He would start with the problem that had started it all. 

The queen had sent out her men to scour the land for the rest of Red Hood’s gang and he knew that that would likely take a while to fully discern. There was no telling how far their reach went and he’d already started to formulate a plan for what would become of every last one of them. Oh, Ray wanted to save all the people from their chains like a good boy. 

But, so many of those deviants and ruffians were happy to do what they were. The glimmer in their eyes was the true monster, their greed knew no bounds. If someone was willing to go as high as the prince to destroy everything to gain all the money in the world that they could ever dream of, then they were going to face the music for their crimes with no mercy. 

They were asking for it, simple as that. 

This is why he was excited, nearly giddy with sadistic glee at the thought of what he would do to you when he saw you again. The late-night prior had been too fraught with Ray’s devastation for him to fully appreciate the freedom that he now held in his hands and he was going to take his time learning who you were and how to make you repent for your sins. 

The thought of your begging and pleading that was soon to fill the halls of this room made him so enthused that he almost allowed himself to laugh. 

The queen had been right, there was nobody that he could trust in this world except for the person that had always been there for him. No amount of staring at the shell that you had given Ray told him anything about you or the person that you had led him to believe you were. Some thief that had wrapped him around their finger by gaining his pity. 

A wolf in sheep’s clothing, someone who knew how to manipulate others to get what they wanted. It was you that had said that you were inspired by Robin Hood. You delighted in taking from those that had and giving to those that had not, but it seemed like you were the only one that you considered a had not. No surprise, really, given what he knew of Red Hood. 

Stained with Greed and desire, you took everything you wanted from others until it wasn’t enough and you had to move onto the next thing. You had almost done that to Ray. Tricked him and taken him for a fool before you almost parted with the crown that was to be his. It was now in Saeran’s hands and you were going to face his wrath for your choices in life. 

You would regret ever crossing his path in the first place. You would wish that you had turned yourself into the guards instead of letting Ray take you to safety. They would have made your suffering over in a moment and he would surely prolong it to make sure that you knew exactly what your actions meant to everyone here. 

No amount of punishing the goons that they caught in the streets satisfied him enough. It would be nothing until he could take down the boss. That would be you, and you were just waiting for him to give you the end of your suffering in the darkness. Too bad the darkness was protecting you from the true terror. 

“...”

The sound of footsteps broke him from his thoughts.

Just on time, he thought as you were brought into the room and carelessly dropped onto the hard stone without a warning. You grit your teeth to hide the pain but he knew the look in your eyes and that was one that couldn’t hide the pain that you understood to be your fault. If you hadn’t done any of this, then you wouldn’t be pitifully groveling at his feet for your life, now, would you? 

This was his first time seeing you since his anger flared. The first real-time that he was getting a good look at you, some petty criminal, and it was hard to imagine you as the mighty Red Hood when you weren’t even fighting back. Where was the fun if you submitted so quickly? There was nothing in that that would sate his thirst for retribution. 

“You may leave,” he dismissed the guard with the wave of his hand. “I wish to speak to the criminal alone.” 

“As you wish, my liege.” 

You hadn’t lifted your head to meet his gaze, no, you continued to stare at the ground in front of yourself with your hands wrapped tight around your shoulders. 

You were trying to make yourself small to hide the fear in your heart. Good, you should have been scared. Your life was in his hands and this was a power that he relished in. There was so much that he could do that he still wasn’t entirely sure what would please him the most. For now, he wanted to learn what made you tick so that he could break you. 

Break you in the same way that you broke Ray. 

So you knew what it felt like to have your pathetic heart crushed into a thousand pieces. 

Saeran would say that you had a sense of preservation. As you knew better than to look at him or say a word, why would you? You both understood the line of power that existed between the two of you, as you were one that told Ray that you very well understood how much power he held compared to you in this land.

He rose from his seat and circled you, getting a good sense of what you were. “Is this all that the mighty Red Hood has to offer? I have to say, for a crime lord, you don’t fit the bill at all. Groveling around like some pitiful beggar, and as much as I want to see you beg and plead for my mercy… Well, I thought you would put up more of a fight now that you’re secret has been revealed to the kingdom.” 

You didn’t respond. 

He gritted his teeth. Were you patronizing him? He wasn’t Ray. He wasn’t going to let you lead him into a false state of security. Saeran snapped to attention and yanked your face up so that you would have to look at him, and of course, you winced and whined when his fist gripped your cheeks too hard for your liking. 

“All I see is a pitiful thief that got fucking lucky,” he sneered. “And that luck ran out the moment you tried to turn against Ray. Don’t get me wrong, he’s also a pitiful bug but he’s not the one that’s been lying and scheming for weeks, now is he?” 

You blinked. 

Silence. 

Then confused lined your features as two and two started to come together, you couldn’t rationalize where your so-called precious Ray had gone. Now, that tasted all the sweeter to him. If you knew that your actions had brought out his anger and the protector, well, the shame and guilt that he wanted to throw on you… haha… he wanted to see you squirm for it. 

“What…” your voice spoke in a broken whisper, searching his face for someone that you would not find no matter how hard you looked. “What are you saying? You’re… You’re Ray.” 

Saeran only smirked. He tipped his head back and laughed at your face. It hadn’t clicked yet? You hadn’t realized? Did you really think that Ray could do what he was doing? Now, that was an insult that he didn’t appreciate.

“Me? Oh, no, Sparrow. I’m not your precious Ray. I’m somebody much stronger… much better. I suppose some people have called me the better Ray, but I’m not Ray. My name is Saeran.” 

“Saeran…?” 

His name sounded foreign and unsure on your tongue but he loved the way it sounded. It filled him with delight to know that you had started to understand the price of your actions, as just the crown that lay on his head had been the very thing to open up his eyes to the true cruelty of this world. It was as easy as a name rolling off your tongue. 

“I won’t repeat myself,” he continued to say, eyes focused on your own. “So, how does it make you feel to know that you’re the reason that Ray isn’t around anymore? You shattered his little heart into tiny pieces with what you did and you’ll pay for it, don’t get me wrong about that. But, you can’t blame me for wanting to get to know the person that caused me to appear.” 

“I…” you stopped yourself short. 

What were you going to say? 

What was your excuse? 

You had none. 

You had been caught red-handed, multiple witnesses, and people speaking out against you, there was no excuse that you could say that would prove innocence in his eyes. Yet, he wanted to hear what you had to say so that he could laugh in your face at the weak attempt of besting the king. It was the price you’d pay and you knew it. 

The dejected look in your eyes said it all. "You're not going to believe me no matter what I tell you, right?" 

He chuckled, "Maybe you're not entirely stupid, then. You're right, but humor me, what would you tell me to save your skin? I can't remember what you tried to sell Ray the other night. Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't enough to make him believe you. How does it feel? Knowing that you broke a man all for a crown and a couple of jewels? Knowing that you damned yourself?”

“That’s not what happened,” you tried, but he shoved you away, and your back collided with the hard ground once more. You covered a wince though it did nothing to hide your terror that was slowly but surely growing. 

“That’s not what happened,” he taunted. 

Saeran scoffed at the pitiful look in your eyes. Even to the end, you were going to lie and pretend that you did nothing wrong, weren’t you? He expected you to put up a fight instead of playing around to be the pitiful sob-story. As if he was going to believe you. You tried to lie right to Ray’s face and he did not doubt that you would continue to act that way.

It made sense to him, how else would someone like you kill the original Red Hood? You played like an innocent child and stole his power for your own. Yet, a part of him thought it didn’t make sense. Someone as weak as you killing somebody for their power? You seemed hardly strong enough to bust out a window, much less a man.

He turned away from you, his eyes resting on the window that showed the world outside the castle walls. He strode over and watched from the high balcony as members of the guard were hard at work trying to piece together lists and plans to hunt down the remaining members of Red Hood’s gang. It was just as he ordered them to do. 

They had already caught some of the former members but there was a long way to go. That man with brown hair and golden eyes had promised to turn over anyone that he knew to work for Red Hood, and the queen was hard at work with him, hunting down anyone that was against the crown. He left that work to them, but the punishment was his. 

He got to decide how they ended. 

“Stand up,” he ordered you.

You didn’t listen to his command, so he repeated himself, and his stern voice made you scramble to your feet. You stood behind him, a gasp on your lips as you saw the sight down below. People in chains and shackles trapped in what was once a lovely courtyard filled to the brim with flowers and nature. 

It was nothing more than thorns and bramble now. Your bound hands wouldn’t allow you to cover your whimper. 

He smirked, “Like it? I do. We’re starting to round up all the traitors and liars that have been working for you in the village one by one. I won’t rest until we’ve caught all of them. They’re all just as guilty and greedy as the leader that charged them. So, you know what that means. Once we’ve made an example of you, they’ll be begging for forgiveness that will never be given.” 

“You… you can’t do this, this isn’t right,” you tried, but he silenced you just as quickly as you spoke with his anger rising alongside his blood pressure. He wasn’t looking at you but he feel how you were starting to shake and tremble. “Those… those people… they don’t work for Red Hood. You can’t just punish everyone.”

Saeran snapped to attention. He looked back at you, mint eyes darkened and face covered in a kind of unspeakable rage. He cocked his head, waiting for you to try and say more but when you didn’t dare say more, he gripped your shoulder tight. “Listen,  _ Red Hood _ , I don’t give a damn if they were working for you directly or not. There are dozens of people out there that let you blindly steal and deceive them knowingly. If they let you exist without question, they’re all guilty.” 

“That’s not—”

“That’s not fair? That’s not right? Who are you to tell me what’s right and what’s wrong? You? The pathetic thief that lies, that cheats, that steals, and that continues to pretend to be something they’re not? You think you have the right to tell me, your king, that I’m in the wrong? No, that’s not how it fucking works,” His voice spoke with bitterness and vitriol. 

He was so loud that it echoed off the stone walls. 

You couldn’t look away from him. This wasn’t the Ray that you had come to know and love so dearly, no, this was a man that felt vindicated by his fury and felt righteous and just in his actions. It wasn’t the man you knew, but, he wasn’t the man you knew. He was someone else and because of that, you had no choice but to listen. 

“And, you know what’s better, [Y/N]? You could only know who works for Red Hood if you were Red Hood,” his voice dropped to a whisper. He laughed when you tried to back away but his grip would not allow you to do so. “So, stop lying to yourself and me. Be honest. Maybe I’ll spare you if you come clean and beg for my forgiveness.” 

Beg. 

You just kept looking at him pathetically. You wouldn’t beg and plead. Why were you fighting this and prolonging it? 

Beg.

“...” 

He should have known that you would continue to do this. 

Beg. 

Your eyes had centered on his crown, the one that had been given to him by the queen, by the loss of his father that had protected him until his last day. You were still thinking about taking it from him, he knew it. You were trying to trick him so you could take it and run,  _ you thieving, lying, pathetic, dumb, monstrous person.  _

_ They’re lying _ , a voice whispered.  _ They want your power… they want your crown… they’re trying to trick you as they tricked Ray… be cruel… be mean… be malicious… break them down and make them pay for their crimes.  _

Even though you trembled, even though you had every right to be scared, you kept looking at him with the smallest trace of hope that didn’t seem to shatter. Your voice was quiet now, but you shook your head. “I’m not Red Hood, I’m being completely honest with you! I’m not him! That man is lying to you, the queen is lying to—”

**_LIAR!_ **

A resounding sound boomed in the room as he slapped you down onto the ground once more, his breathing heavy and his eyes wild with anger and confusion. His breathing became ragged and hard, something burning in the back of his head that made him want to scream and shout. He didn’t know why, nor did he understand why the voice was so loud. 

All he knew was that he was angry and the voice said it was your fault. 

“You,” he seethed, pointing a finger at you as the doors to the chamber opened and some guards came in to check on the commotion. “You’re a liar, you’re a traitorous liar that thinks that you can deceive me even as I hold your life in my hands! Unworthy of my pity! Your days are numbered, do you fucking understand me? When the sun has risen, I will decide your punishment and you will accept it, kicking or screaming, you will reap what you’ve sown.” 

The guards took you away almost as soon as they brought you to him, and that took off some of the headache that had started to brew in his mind. The pain eased but the feeling of confusion lingered in its place when you were gone. It was like he couldn’t hear anything but the sounds of his own anger and rage over the voice telling him what to do. 

He needed to destroy you to kill the voice that commanded him. 

It was the only way for the pain to stop and leave him be. 

However, why did his heart feel empty now that you were gone? 


	13. Chapter 13

Saeran stared at the scene below as the guards took away people one by one. The castle grounds had become more of scenery that looked like it was on the brink of war rather than a kingdom that’d been in peace for such a long time. Trampled were the roses and flowers that had once called the castle their home and in their place was devastation and destruction. 

It was a small price to pay for revenge and righting what had been wronged, or rather, who had been wronged. 

He knew nothing but anger and frustration. The second that this crown had been placed on his head, he knew that he had to get back at Red Hood and anyone that had worked with them. It was the sole thought in his mind. He couldn’t think of anything else and when he did, he was dragged back to his anger and plans. 

He watched until Rika’s hand rested against his shoulder and pulled him back inside of the castle walls so they could discuss plans. She had been hard at work with her master detective that had found out the identity of Red Hood. He was a man with brown hair that had somewhat faded with time and golden eyes. 

Something about him felt familiar to Saeran but he didn’t know why that was. It was like a memory that he couldn’t touch. But, the queen trusted him and she was the only person in his life that had not ever lied to him for a moment. So, he trusted that she knew who was working with and this was for the best. They were working together to round up who remained of the villains and thieves. 

“My king,” she said, once he took his spot at the table. “It’s hard to say who hasn’t been deceived by that villain, Red Hood. The limits of their powers seem to know no bounds, even within our castle walls. It seems like they’ve received more than we can count. It seems that the only ones that we may trust are in this very room.” 

He rested his hand against his open palm. 

It made sense to him. 

Deception was one of the more advanced forms of magic. It was one thing to be a liar and it was another thing to be a skilled liar. One could hold all the cards in their hands if they know just how to enchant people to get them to do as they wanted.

It would make sense for someone to place a curse on people to assume that their lies were true. It was no wonder why people assumed that Red Hood was still a wicked man in his growing years. 

You were the worst kind of liar and he never saw it coming. It was bad enough he was already cursed to be trapped in this castle forever but to pour salt in his wounds and laugh?

Now, that was what a villain would do just to hurt him for added measure. It wasn’t right and just thinking about it burned him to his core. The idea of you was the only target that he could focus on. His hands curled into fists in his lap as he glowered at the map on the table in front of you. 

He just needed to find all the pieces of the puzzle so that he could punish you in front of all of them for good. 

That’s what he needed to do, he knew that for sure. He needed to see it through to the end but his veins were itching for a better kind of punishment that he was still considering since he had spoken with you a few hours prior, it hadn’t come to him yet. 

Saeran couldn’t make up his mind on what he wanted. There were so many useful punishments in his mind but he kept thinking of better ones before he settled on a single thought. Annoying, but such is the life of someone in power of a kingdom. 

“That being said,” Rika drew him from his thoughts. “While we know that we can only trust each other, we need to destroy whatever hope the criminals have in Red Hood. That is why you must get rid of them as soon as possible. Within the next day or so, my king. We need to set an example so they will have nowhere to run and full knowledge of what awaits anyone that dares to break the law set by the crown.”

“No,” Saeran pressed his hands against the table in a firm slam. He didn’t understand why she was trying to rush him to punish you. He was the king now, and she was supposed to listen to him and his word was meant to be law. She was only meant to advise and do whatever he asked of her hand. He knew that she had a point. 

But it was his choice to do whatever he pleased with you. 

“No?” Rika repeated, her eyes on him as she watched him stare at her with a clouded look in his mint eyes. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. Are you saying that you’ve decided that they shouldn’t receive the highest punishment for their crimes? What would you do instead? Keep them around because you hold a fondness for a liar that tricked you?” 

He clenched his jaw. Saeran could feel his teeth grinding against each other but he didn’t care. 

He didn’t care about you. He didn’t. This wasn’t about him holding some fondness for you, because he didn’t hold anything for you but hatred and anger. He wanted you to know what it felt like to have salt in your wounds. It was only fair but he knew one thing, death wouldn’t be enough to show you what it felt like. 

What it felt like to be humiliated in front of the world. 

Everyone had seen how pitiful and easy it was to trick Ray, and someone had to pay for breaking his heart into a million pieces. The person that had looked into his eyes and made him think that he knew what it felt like to be free only to shatter that freedom away like a bit of glass. He should have known better but there was no changing it. 

Freedom was dead and gone, wasn’t it? 

Saeran paused, his eyes resting on the window just beyond his reach. The magic that sparkled and caught his eyes. He could see the walls of the castle in the distance. The ones that were enchanted to keep him inside of the walls. His price of life was to know what it felt like to see the world pass him by while everyone else got to live their dreams to the fullest on the outside. 

He was punished by jealousy. 

His curse was to know what he could never have as he watched it. 

Isn’t that true? 

He knew what he wanted to do with you now. 

“I’ve decided that death is too light of a punishment for Red Hood,” he said, flatly. “Death means that the darkness takes them away and that’s frankly too kind of a hardened punishment. Why should they get eternal rest instead of wallowing, knowing what they’ve done and that they will never taste what it feels like to rest?” 

Rika doesn’t say anything, nor does her companion. 

Nobody could argue with the king, not even people that once bore the crown. It was about the respect and transition of power in the line of succession. His word was law. Everyone understood that and it didn’t matter what anyone thought about it. 

Saeran would get what he wanted, and that was that. Saeran has made his point known. He rises from the table and spares a look between the two of them, “Now, I’ve made my point clear on what I wish to do. I ask that the two of you keep working to find every member that you can find and bring them here. I promise that I’m going to make an example of their precious leader, but they need to be alive for me to humiliate them and destroy the hopes of every fucking criminal in this country.” 

The former queen didn’t voice her approval or disapproval, but Saeran knew that she wasn’t very happy about his choice. If she had faith in her son, then she would trust him to see this through as he wanted to. “Of course,” she said, simply. “If that is what you wish, my king. We will continue to see this thought to the end.” 

Saeran left the room without another word. The door to the room closed with a hard slam as he returned to his chambers to tend to other matters that he had one his hands. Rika blew out a sigh, shaking her head at his tantrum. She wasn’t happy with this. 

The crown was supposed to make him listen to whatever she wanted of him. 

The anger charm that she had placed on him was seemingly stronger on him than she intended, but no matter, she thought. She knew what she had to do to make the magic control him in the right way, it was just the fickle nature of magic to bite back in the wrong way if you didn’t have the right amount of power for a specific spell. 

It wouldn’t be much longer until she had what she wanted in her hands. She turned her attention back to the true Red Hood, who seemed amused by all of this more than anything. She wasn’t surprised by that either, this man was known for thriving on chaos and control. He liked being able to do whatever he wanted. 

Power corrupts, but only those that don’t know how to handle what they were handed. 

“I suppose you find his tantrums adorable,” Rika said, turning her eyes onto the table as she looked over the marks that they had knocked down. “Magic can be a powerful force when imbued with the right charm but when the wrong amount of power is placed into the object, it can warp someone in an unintended way.” 

“I find it amusing, yes,” Red Hood responded. His arms were crossed over his chest. “I knew that the legends were interesting but to see its power in person is much more intriguing than I thought it would be. When that fool Zen brought me the stones, he had no idea just how much power these items held within them.” 

“Yes, but they’re useless without the right item to embed in them,” Rika said. “The crown was forged with the same elements as the stones. That’s why it only works for the wearer. Traditionally, the power is only sprinkled in small doses to the ruler over their life but we’ve given him such a large dosage of my magic. That explains those dark fits of childish desire.” 

Red Hood merely chuckled. They both knew what that was about. “Forgive me for my curiosity, but may I ask why you aren’t donning the crown yourself?” 

That brought a smile to Rika’s face. She merely cocked her head with a curious look in her eyes, “Why, aren’t you an insightful one? You know better than anyone how important it is to have a puppet take your place at the last second to ensure that you’re holding all the cards in your hands. We both know well to mind our reputations. I must commend you, though, the Sparrow made the perfect person to tip him over the edge.” 

“They’ve always been too naive for their own good,” he chuckled. “It’s what they earned after trying to fight against monsters bigger than them. I frankly don’t care what happens to them. I’m interested to see what your king does to them if he’s not going to kill them so quickly. The power that you hold in your hands is deviously delicious, my queen.” 

Rika’s hand traced a location on the map from the castle as she looked through the layout of the land to see if she could locate the spot she was searching for. She closed her eyes and let magic rush through her fingers to reveal hidden spaces on the map. Underneath an unlabeled mountain range was a small building hidden away. 

She began to laugh as if delighted by what she had seen. “I only aim to gain more magic to ensure that the stones never run out, dear Red Hood,” her finger tapped against the paper. “Look here, deep in the mountains is the home of the coven that is training my next well of power that we need to cement our win before the battle starts. I need you to bring this letter to my crow the second he returns from the Han kingdom.”

He took the note from the queen’s hands and nodded. “Absolutely,” he said, simply. “I get the full picture. Consider it taken care of. I can’t wait for you to show me what your darkness looks like.” 

Rika couldn’t wait for herself. Her goals were finally coming together. “Hahaha… don’t worry, they’ll all know soon enough what it feels like to know true suffering and misery. I have a point to prove and I won’t stop until I’ve brought him to his knees.” 


	14. Chapter 14

You knew that your fate was doomed in ways that you could never fix or mend on your own. 

Nobody was going to come for you now, not when Saeran had made sure that there were guards stationed everywhere to keep you locked up tight. He kept his word, a while passed before anyone came to see you or talk to you. You wished that the king would come back so you could ask more of him but he couldn’t get in here if he wanted. 

Magic or not, they weren’t playing around when it came to keeping who they thought was Red Hood away from everyone else. 

Death was likely coming and you had to accept it. You couldn’t fight magic and you couldn’t fit the hand of the crown. There was no chance that you could get close to him or figure out how to undo the curse placed upon him, and even if you solved the problem with the crown, that would do nothing in the way of removing his other curse. 

You didn’t even know how he got that curse in the first place and you likely never would. 

All you had ever wanted was for Ray to be able to see the freedom that he longed for, and how he craved to see the sea and the world. He deserved to have that and now, you weren’t sure that he would ever be able to do it. There was no way that his curse would be broken and he seemed to be doomed to be used by the queen.

When he wasn’t useful anymore, she would likely throw him away or get rid of him. That was what you feared but even as you feared for your life, you feared for what would happen to Ray… no, Saeran, after you were gone and there was nothing left for him. Would his anger destroy the land and all of the people in it in a quest to get revenge that would never fix his pain?

Would he lose himself to the magic that pulled him down, or would he somehow manage to break it if the king could swoop in and change fate? 

Nothing seemed possible at this point, it felt like your only hope had long left you behind, and now all you had was the darkness to welcome you with its open arms. You only prayed that whether you went after you died, that perhaps you would be able to see your parents. You wanted to apologize for not making more of your life and becoming a criminal. 

They had expected so much from you before you lost them and look at you now, doomed to a fate that would damn you in the eyes of history to a name was never your own. Nobody would know you as the person you were, you would be seen as an evil taken down and gotten rid of before the world got worse and followed its order of chaos. 

Chaos in bloodshed and fighting over lands and power by the people who held too much and only wanted more for themselves and nothing more. 

Fate would be kind to no one and in no way had you made the world a better place for yourself or the people that lived in it. You knew now that you wouldn’t change helping Ray and you knew that you were okay with what had happened, even if you wished that you would have realized that you weren’t as sneaky as you thought. 

You were happy that you met Ray, and that you loved him. 

You could feel the tears well up in your eyes at the memory of his kind smile as his fingers carded through your hair. Saeran’s touch was not the same as Ray’s, and you knew him to be a different person, but he had touched you the same way that Ray had, and that startled you. 

You still didn’t understand who Saeran was or why he was out, or if the power of the crown had something to do with it, or if Saeran had always been there and Ray had simply been a stronger voice at the time. There was no way for you to know everything, but you saw the anger and the pain in those light mint eyes. 

Whoever Saeran was, he was hurting just as much as Ray was and the crown was making matters worse, and there was nothing that you or anybody could do about it. 

There was no hope. 

That was what you had to accept as you knew that whenever the sun rose, your fate would be decided and there would be no more for you to worry about anymore. It was funny, trapped in the dark, you’d know what it felt like to be suffocated by something that you couldn’t control. 

Why had you ever thought that you could outsmart Red Hood? He always held the final piece of the puzzle from your reach and he would make sure that he made use of you before he threw you away like trash. That was how he worked, and that was how the queen worked, you understood that now. Two peas in a pod. 

What would happen when you were gone? 

_ Did it even matter? _

You wouldn’t live to see it. 

—

She watched with careful precision as you were brought into the room and left there. Saeran had been rather tense and high-strung as he decided what he wanted to do. You were a pitiful looking thing, but very fair. Your eyes resolute with your fate but your fingers clenched into tight fists of defiance that’d do you no good but yet, you still kept that spark inside of you as strong as it had been before you had been put through the wringer. 

You had your use, Rika thought. She had gotten her use out of you. The emotional reaction that left Ray had flooded back into Saeran almost as soon as the crown sank on top of his skull. It made it far easier to get him to do as she wanted. 

Too bad you wouldn’t live to see the glorious empire. 

Not if she had anything to say about it. 

Yet, Saeran had to believe that he was in charge without question for the time being. It was best to let him throw his tantrums and play his silly little games until things were cemented. It never hurt to see someone relish in their inner demons. Better to let them out and have their use instead of swallowing it down. 

“Didn’t get any sleep, huh?” 

“...” 

“Speak up, I’m afraid I didn’t hear you. How are you feeling knowing that I’ve got your fate in my hands? Do you understand what that feels like? Oh, I admire you’ve told enough lies to think that you know what it feels like but you didn’t until you made the wrong enemy,” Saeran didn’t bother rising from his throne. 

You lifted your head to look at him, “Let’s get it over with,” your voice was nearly inaudible. 

Saeran snorted. “Get it over with?” 

He was looking to play with his toys instead of breaking them to pieces and throwing them out of the nearest window. He almost seemed amused by that comment, his hand resting in his chin as he stayed to watch you struggle to stay upright. The lack of sleep and anything to eat was rightly making you far weaker than you normally were. 

“You wanted to get rid of me,” you said, eyes never straying from his. “So? Why waste any more time if you’re not going to listen to me? Let’s get it over with, if that’s what will make you feel better about all of this then I can’t take that from you.” 

Saeran didn’t like that. He shifted so that he was sitting properly, one leg crossed over the way as he watched. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for but whatever it was, he hadn’t found it in your eyes yet nor did he assume he would find his answer. 

Rather than dignify you with a response, he laughed. He laughed right in your pathetic face as you sat there with no power left to do you anything. 

“You thought I would let you have the mercy that comes from ending your life?” he countered, leaning forward as his voice hushed to a whisper. “Do you think that that would ever teach you a lesson? Dying just means that you’ve been removed from knowing what you did and what it does to the people. No, my dear, I’ve decided your punishment will be far worse than death. You’ll wish that you had been given the luxury of death.” 

There was nothing but silence in response. 

So, there was something worse than dying, knowing that everyone would suffer? 

“Saeran,” a voice cut into the air, and two sets of eyes shifted in the direction of the room. “We’ve discussed this. What example will this set for the rest of the criminals if you keep them alive? They will take away the wrong message from this.” 

“Mother,” he said, flatly. The annoyance in his tone is palpable. “I believe we’ve also discussed how _ I  _ am the king now, and that means that whatever I want goes. Death is the obvious answer and many of the criminals know that they will get away with whatever they’ve done with such mercy. If we really want to deter them, it’s better to publicly humiliate and demean their precious ring leader.” 

The former queen watches him closely, her eyes narrowed but her smile still resting on her face. She wasn’t happy with his choices, and you could see that written all over her face. Yet, she bowed her head after a moment of a long tension-fraught staring contest between the two heads of state. There was an unspoken animosity. 

Enough that it made you swallow dry. What was happening when you weren’t there to see what was becoming of him? 

It struck you as odd, given that the queen was supposed to be ordering Saeran around. Perhaps, the magic wasn’t as strong as you thought, or maybe it didn’t work in the way that you assumed. It wasn’t like you could ask the king about it, he was long gone! 

You were ignored as if your presence didn’t matter to the tyrant king. 

“As you wish,” Rika answered. She didn’t seem pleased about it but she gave in to his whims anyway, and that left you wondering why. Why was someone who was really planning to use him listening to anything he wanted even if he didn’t do what she wanted? Were their limits to the magic? Did it only last for a while? 

What was the piece you were missing?

This woman wanted you dead, as an example to the world, and to guarantee that whatever she got from Red Hood stayed under the guise of darkness. If you were alive… that threatened her plans, as if anyone found out that you weren’t Red Hood. They would question why you were played out to be the biggest bad of them all.

And why, a man who none had ever seen had been tracking Red Hood for the queen.

“Thank you,” Saeran said. His vision returned you not long after that, the menacing look in his eyes now much more amused with what he planned to do with you. You weren’t sure what he intended to do but it didn’t sound good. 

He raised his hand and gave it a wave, “Mother, I expect you to prepare them for the punishment ceremony set to take place in the evening. I have to meet with the captain of the guard to make sure that our preparations are going according to plan.” 

“I will see to it. Go on, take care of what you must,” Rika acknowledged him with a nod. She gestured to the door to which he rose from his seat and gave you one last look as a warning. It was as if he was daring you to try to run or do something to disobey his orders. “All will be taken care of while you’re running your kingdom, my king.” 

You watched with staggered breath, thinking about what to say to him if anything. He was leaving you with the queen and whatever he planned for you this evening, you knew that it wasn’t going to be pretty. He liked that look of unease and dread in your eyes, his anger seemed to thrive on the idea that he could be the one with all the cards. 

It was so far from the gentle look that you had once loved. 

“...” 

In the end, you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything because it was futile. Your head sank and you felt the familiar sense of shame and despair wash over you. There really was nothing that you could do for him to get him to listen. His eyes were set in a line and he would not break from the path that he’d decided to take.

Damn that crown, damn this castle, damn everyone and everything that ever hurt him… hurt them. 

It was a look of anger you knew well, the look someone had when they finally claimed some sense of control in their life by doing something against those that had hurt them. You remembered the first time that you took from someone fraught with gluttony and greed, and you could remember that feeling in your veins when you were able to take everything. 

Was that what you looked like?

Had you really done things like that without remorse because your heart was scorned with anger and spite, masked underneath the pride of someone who felt like they could be Robin Hood? 

With Saeran gone, that left you with the queen. You turned your head in her direction as her gaze lingered on the door before she shifted her body in her direction. Her eyes were sharpened and her face radiated with a saturated sweetness that could likely scorch the earth as she stepped upon the thicket of grass. 

This was someone who knew magic and abused it. You knew nothing of magic until the moment you met Ray and you cursed it. You cursed it underneath your breath as you had always cursed the ground that Red Hood walked upon. Who wouldn’t? These people thrived on power and wanted to use it to get what they wanted, no matter the cost of the people around them. 

Red Hood hurt you… and countless others. 

Rika hurt Ray and Saeran… and the king. 

“Come now,” she said, simply. Her tone was unreadable but she expected you to rise from the floor to follow her into the winding walls of the castle. You had no choice, your body ached and your vision started to blur but you had to ignore it to keep marching on. You may know that you can’t escape but you weren’t going to let them see how broken you were. 

You had never walked this deep into the castle and the path that she walked was winding and out of the way from anything you had ever seen. You weren’t on the ground floor, that you realized when you looked out a window and saw the once vibrant castle bathed in soot, ash, and smoke. People in chains and the guards running about. 

It wasn’t good. 

It was a sign of the coming war of destruction that this woman wanted to lay on not only this kingdom but every kingdom that she could reach. 

The next few minutes were quite the blur as the queen took you into a lavish room, and made you sit down in a chair in front of a mirror. You watched her in the reflection of the mirror as she brushed out your hair that had become a mess. Your hands twitched at your side as you waited to figure out if she was going to explain this to you or if she was going to ignore you. 

It wasn’t a long wait, because when she finished with that, she rested her hands on your shoulders and met your gaze in the mirror. “It's such that you fulfilled your purpose,” she said, a short sigh on her lips as if she was disappointed. “As useful as you are to ensuring that he is fueled and charged by his anger, I’m afraid you’re too much of a liability.” 

You could feel yourself wavering as she dropped the pretenses. She knew that you knew that this was all a farce of her own making. She wasn’t even trying to hide her intentions. Well, why would she? You’d been damned and no one would believe the word that left your mouth if you tried to argue with them on your innocence.

“You won’t get away with this,” you said. 

You weren’t going to let her see it. 

“Oh, I already have, dear,” she mused, her eyes leaving yours as she went to the other side of the room to locate something. “Let’s not think that we’re on the same level. It’s nothing personal, I assure you, you’re merely a pawn to throw away as need be. Look at it this way, you’re contributing to something far greater than you ever will be.” 

Perhaps, you could at the very least, get her to answer some of your pressing questions. If you thought that you were going to die in the end, or that you were never to be taken seriously, what harm would come from that? The king had only told you half of the story and you weren’t sure how to piece the other parts back together. 

“And what is that?” you countered. “What is your goal here? I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re trying to accomplish by doing any of this.

“Such a naive, stupid fool,” you could hear her mutter underneath her breath. Whether she was talking about you or Saeran, you weren’t sure. 

There was no stopping your curiosity, and at this point, you’d take anything. “And, what the hell does Red Hood gain out of this? He snuck those gems into my bag before he sent me to the party to take that crown of yours. Clearly, those gems I took meant something to you and him, so what is your end goal? What are the two of you planning to do?” 

The blonde didn’t even dignify you with a response, “That doesn’t concern you, but I’m sure that Duke Choi is pleased by how you were so willing to take the fall for his crimes. He’s far too easy to work with, all that man covets is power and respect. I sincerely understand his desire. After all, what is more, important than status and respect? With you out of the way, he’s looking forward to a new spot in our growing empire where he can rule over as much territory as he desires.” 

Duke Choi? 

Those rumors of Red Hood’s identity were vast and far-between, many saying that he was a duke with not enough power who craved more, others said that he was a man who clawed his way to the top to get what he wanted, and many said that he was a demon that came straight from Hell to wreak havoc on the land. 

The queen implied that he was the former of those rumors. 

Your silence had allowed her to chuckle, “After all that time you spent with him, honestly, I wondered how you didn’t figure it out sooner. He sucks the money dry from the people that he tends to but it is never enough for his devil to have. So, he started hunting down more and more power until he had got himself closer to his domination. I should say that he saved me plenty of time in rounding up ruffians to use at my leisure.” 

“So, what,” you shook the surprise from your face. “You’re going to use the underground in your plan to take over every land that you can reach?” 

“It’s for the greater good,” her answer was blunt. “People don’t know how to take care of themselves and they always expect the crown to spoil them. That was the king’s mistake and their faith in their precious crown will allow me to correct their mistakes and show them what true respect and power is in this world.” 

This woman… She was utterly mad. 

The anger pooling inside of you was upset that she was willing to destroy and use others. She didn’t care about the people. She wanted to have more power and control. She was greedy for the taste of her own pride. The people were going to suffer so she could prove to the king that she could rule over the masses through her fist instead of with open palms.

The king said that she intended to use Saeran as a mask for her crimes, and if the world blamed him, she would… oh, God. A sickening realization pooled in your guts. She was going to do to you what Red Hood was trying to do to you. 

She was going to let everyone think that Saeran had destroyed and harmed everyone and—

She’d throw him aside like the dinner that spoiled the evening prior, and take the crown back for herself. Saeran… Ray… they were nothing but pawns and test-subjects for her plans. Those gems that seemed to control him… the power must have been limited, making Saeran so angry and volatile, and although you didn’t quite know the depth of her magic. 

You knew... you knew at that moment that you and he had only been destined for death, as long as the queen had her way. 

“And Saeran?” 

“Come now,” she turned around to face you. “You’re not so daft. I’m sure a cunning thief like yourself has figured it out on your own. You’re right, once he serves his purpose, he’ll be just as useless as you are to me now. Sometimes, a loss is important to ensure the success of a grand scheme. Tyrant King Saeran and Red Hood will have died in revenge for their crimes in the days to come, my dear, and that is how the story will be told.” 

“Why are you doing this?!” 

Her smile made your blood curdle. “Oh, haha… I have a promise to keep and I intend to follow through.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO CARES ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE TODAY. WE'RE GETTING SAERAN'S AFTER ENDING ON THE 18TH OF DECEMBER.


	15. Chapter 15

You were bound with shackles against your ankles, sitting at the side of the king’s throne as if you were his glorified pet. 

The former-queen had taken her time to clean you up and dress you up like some kind of doll. You were wearing all black, as to be expected of someone that would soon lose their life but Saeran had made it clear that you weren’t going to die. 

Nothing made sense, but you had no choice but to bite your tongue. You had your answer as to what would become of Saeran in due time and now, your only hope was that you would be spared the sight of his end, or by some miracle, whatever Jihyun planned to do was going to work. He knew your friend Zen, and Zen had wanted to rescue you. 

Zen’s reach couldn’t protect you, but you knew that he would be the only person to know with certainty that you weren’t Red Hood. He was the only person in the world that was on your side and for once, you wished that you had listened to him and left when you got the chance to run. It would have been the smart thing to do. 

Perhaps, if you had taken a boat to freedom across the sea long ago, things would be different than they were now. It was funny, you missed the sea and the open waters. Growing up, you had lived in a town by the sea someways away from the main center of the kingdom, and the water called to you as it called to adventure for many people. 

However, your parents had wanted you to stay in your studies and become a scholar. They would be disappointed to know that you had thrown all your studies away and saw where you were now, but it didn’t matter anymore. There was no changing this and there was no changing what was happening, no matter how much your heart told you to swat the crown from Saeran’s head.

You weren’t even sure if the effect of the crown would leave if it left his head. 

Magic was still this abstract construct where anything and everything cruel was a possibility. This witch who wanted to use her power for her gain would ensure that you didn’t understand what was happening enough to stop it. She may have admitted that she planned on killing everyone but that was not explaining how the magic worked. 

You were alone, save for the guards posted at the door to ensure that you didn’t get out of your chains and run. As if you had any tools to pick your lock and leave! Your fists clenched at the fabric of your sleeves tightly, grinding your teeth despite yourself as the frustration tore through you.

The amount of desperation that you felt was tried and true. 

The anticipation was meant to drive you mad. 

Saeran was miking the time with whatever he was doing because the sun had already started glow with the embers of the evening sun soon to set on the horizon and break away to the long night with no moon to enshroud the world; The only thing remaining for yourself and others stuck under the haze was a path of anguish. 

And here you were, trapped like a sacrificial lamb. 

There was nothing for you to do but ruminate and sit. Your mind wandered for quite some time as you grew used to the way that you were ignored and set aside, and the silence was far more welcoming than anything that you had dealt with thus far. You thought perhaps that your punishment was to sit here and wait, forever, for no one to come and see you. 

It was almost worst than being trapped in the basement. At least down there, you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing you. It was dark and you could grow accustomed to the dark as you had with the chains that had bound you to Red Hood. It wasn’t about your comfort, no, you weren’t going to be given that anymore. 

The queen made that abundantly clear when she told you what you would be within the coming days and that was deceased. 

You weren’t sure how much time passed but eventually, the doors to the room opened and you were given the sight of Saeran. A crown set upon his brow and the black cape over his shoulders letting you know that he’d just returned from his business outdoors where the smog had started to overrun the grounds of the castle with the brewing guard. 

Gone were the flowers and sunshine, replaced with anger and smoke from the brimstone fire to burn you all alive. 

His eyes rested squarely on you as the sneer caught your eye. He was seemingly happy to see you caught in his trap next to the phone, beaming at the sight of the chains around your legs that kept you close to his side. He said nothing to you but he took his spot on the throne, resting his head in his hand as he gestured to the guard. 

“Send them in,” he ordered. 

Who?

Your answer was given to you sooner, rather than later, as you watched the guard bring in some very familiar faces from the dungeons. You knew them from your work with Red Hood, one by one, you took note of countless thieves that were in the same boat as you. They had no choice but to obey and to serve the crooked man. He had left them for dead, and whoever hadn’t been caught was now forced to… you knew they had been forced into the mindless army that the queen was creating and thanks to Red Hood, there was an endless supply of people who already meant nothing to many. 

These people would likely face the same fate as them, forced to be drones that would die for the queen that wanted to bend everyone to her will. 

If they didn’t get killed first as an example of what would happen against those that turned against her, then they would likely die on the fields of battle as those kingdoms tried to fight against the threat that would usurp them all. They all saw you as well, and you knew that they knew the truth. But, if any of them pitied you, they didn’t say. 

They wouldn’t tell the king that you weren’t Red Hood, either. 

There was a chance that many of them could stay in the grace of the true Red Hood if they didn’t bow their head to this. You were merely a puppet for them and there was nothing… no one that would stand up for you. You looked down at the floor the second that you knew that nobody was going to come to your side or defense. 

You accepted that. 

There was no fighting back against this disgraceful degradation. 

Saeran didn’t like that. The chains binding you to his side were tugged hard and you were forced against his side, a gasp leaving your lips as he gazed into your pathetic eyes. You had nothing to say because you were too stunned for words. 

“Pathetic, huh?” his voice called your attention. “I suppose you’ve all realized that your leader had submitted to my will. It wasn’t like they had any say in the matter, hahaha. Take this as a lesson, never dare turn against the crown or you’ll be strung up like my pretty pet here is. You’ll wish for death as mercy instead.” 

There was a resounding silence to his words. Nobody had anything to say in regards to that. They all knew well what he was saying and where they would be. The frenzied part of you almost wished that you were under a curse as well, the humiliation dragging against your pride and kicking you where it hurt the most. 

Saeran’s gaze never left yours. “Have you decided to plead for mercy? Come now, you’re amongst your fellow criminals and allies. Why don’t you show them how weak you truly are? Why don’t you let them know who it was that brought you to your knees?” 

And you were like a caged animal, pushed against the wall with nowhere to go as the bigger monster forced himself into your personal space for the kill. Despite yourself, you shivered because you felt his shaking excitement at your fears. A part of you wanted to believe it was the crown but another part of you had a feeling that this angry, vindictive side of him had always been there. 

Angry at the fate that the world had dealt him. 

Angry at what happened to Ray because he trusted others. 

Angry because he was fueled by the people around him. 

“Tell them,” he persisted. “Tell them what you did, Sparrow. Tell them how you tried to trick a crowned prince to steal everything he had and what it earned you. You know, go on, tell the story from your perspective! I’m sure you had a good laugh about it when your men at your side, laughing at the prince you tried to ensnare with your wiles.” 

You knew that fighting against his words was fruitless, but still, you hated the way that he looked at you like you were the source of the grief. It wasn’t you that had hurt him or trapped him here. It wasn’t you that perceived him to be a fool and took him for the trouble. It was you that had extended your hand to a lonely soul who wanted a friend, and it was you that wanted to protect him.

You were willing to throw your happiness away to ensure that Ray would live. 

You were not Red Hood. 

You were not a caged bird for anyone’s amusement. 

And if that resistance that existed within your spurned heart, Saeran could see it from the way that you looked at him. Opening your mouth, you could feel yourself about to say something that you knew would be something you’d regret in the coming hours, but the humiliation of everyone seeing you in such a miserable state. 

At least, you would have said something, if it wasn’t for the newcomer that was dragged into the room, a verbal lashing on his lips as he kicked against the constraints that he had been locked away in. It was a voice that made your eyes snap away from Saeran’s immediately, looking for the warm crimson orbs that had looked after you for years as a big brother. 

“If you think you can treat me like this, you’re sorely mistaken. I didn’t do anything, so you can unhand me! Do you think this is any way to run your damn kingdom’s guard? You’re all a damn disgrace to the guard.” 

“...!” 

“Ah, the White Devil,” the chuckle from your side was enough to warn you of something that no one was supposed to know. “It took some work to track him down but there was no way that I could let your right-hand man go without punishment. He’s been living in disguise as an actor for some time, but those features aren’t ones that he can hide.”

Your heart sank as you met Zen’s eyes. He saw you trapped and narrowed his eyes at the king. It was the same boy that you had told him about as far as he knew, and if anything, it confirmed that he had given you the wrong advice. Zen would do anything to protect you, you knew he would, and the only reason he had gotten caught was that Red Hood likely leaked his identity. 

He lashed out further against the guards, “How dare you,” he growled. “How dare you treat them like a filthy animal—”

Zen was forced onto the ground the more that he fought them, and before long, his head was pressed to the ground. He was exhausting himself and only making things worse for himself. Jihyun had told you that he wanted to rescue you, but there was no chance that even he could come and remove you from this gilded cage.

You wished that he would have run when he got the chance, it would have been better for him, “Zen, stop fighting them,” you pleaded. You reached out an arm to him but it would never see his side. “It’s not worth it!” 

“Yeah,” Saeran mocked the tone in your voice. “Stop fighting the guard, listen to your boss, and maybe I’ll spare you some pity for your crimes. Come now, it’s worth a shot. Surely you know how to act like a gentleman. You shouldn’t act so distasteful in front of your boss, Red Hood, or your king. It isn’t becoming of a man of your age.”

With his tantrums, he had no right to talk about anger problems. 

Zen’s fight slowly died down the longer that he was forced down, and when the fight in his arms had calmed down, he looked at Saeran. “That’s where you’re wrong. They’re not Red Hood,” he said. The clamor in the room had started to quiet down as you felt the man beside you tense with anger. “They have never been Red Hood. You should know this,  _ king _ , or have that crown of yours sucked all of the power from your head?” 

“How dare you question my intelligence—” 

You were pleading with Zen silently to stop fighting. You cared about him but he didn’t have to throw his life on the line for yours. He had already done that when you were a child and you refused to let him suffer through something just because he wanted to protect you again. You were an adult now and this was your cross to carry. 

“I question your objectivity,” Zen corrected him with a scoff. “Doesn’t it strike you as odd that someone as young as them could kill a seasoned criminal and control his command? Not only that but convince everyone that they are him so easily. If Red Hood had been killed, then one of those that had much of his power would take that spot. You think a penniless sparrow could fight grown fighters with no injuries?” 

Zen was a slave to no one, not anymore, and you could see the fire in his eyes that spoke of a man that feared no higher power. 

“It seems to me like someone wants you to believe that it was the sparrow instead,” he continued as he met your gaze. “And, you’re far too angry and prideful to admit that you might have been wrong and you’ve committed to a lie that you’ve been told to believe.”

You could hear no sound in the mirror as Saeran rose from his chair. Nobody dared to make a sudden noise or movement as he approached Zen. The guard hoisted from the ground so that he would be forced to look into the mint eyes of an angry demon with nowhere to go but here in the pits of hell that he walked through.

“Filthy mutt,” he hissed. “If you value your miserable life then you’ll stop while you’re ahead and shut the hell up. I’ll string you up by the gallows and force the bird to watch as it happens, and it will be all their fault for not teaching you respect.” 

“If anyone should learn some respect, it’s the man lying right as he speaks to me about what he believes,” Zen spat with vigor. “They cared about you with all their heart and you’ve repaid them by turning against the only person in your life that wants to protect you from those that abuse your authority.” 

Silence. 

“If they cared about me as you claim, then they wouldn’t have tried to steal the crown that was meant for me, White Devil. Their true crime was lying to the crown. Theft is one thing, but toying with the hearts of others for your enjoyment is the ultimate crime. You know that. Liars are those that are the most shameful. Like yourself, conning the hearts of others to get what is it you want. I can only presume that they learned their deception from—”

“Stop!” your voice cut in before Zen could say anything in response. 

All eyes in the room snapped back in your direction as you allowed yourself to have the floor, and you ignored the looks of their emotions as your hands clenched at the fabric of the shirt.

“It’s not worth it, Zen,” you said. “I’m already damned. Don’t throw away your life to protect me. I’m not a kid, I’m not helpless. Thank you for what you’ve done for me but please, I’m begging you, stop. Stop fighting, there is no hope left.” 

The misery in your heart told you there was no hope left. 

But, Zen refused to stop hoping for a brighter tomorrow. 

“You might have given up on your life, but I haven’t!” he said, looking at you with that fierceness he never lost. “You’re not Red Hood. Don’t take this lying down! You don’t have to pay for crimes that you never committed. Don’t let them push you around, this isn’t you. The [Y/N] I know would never wallow in pity or accept this humiliation!” 

The shame that washed over you forced you to bow your head to the floor. No matter what Zen said, you couldn’t let him suffer for you. That was why you swallowed the pooling fire instead and looked at Saeran, “Zen was never involved in any of this. Please, don’t punish him for my sins. It isn’t right. You can’t do that.” 

And Saeran just laughed in your face, “That’s where you’re wrong, Sparrow. Anyone that has had the misfortune of working with you will know the same fate in my eyes. As much as I love to hear you finally begging, I don’t think I’ll spare this one. He means a lot to you and that means he should pay for that sin with his life.”

_ This is the price of your sins,  _ that voice echoed through your mind.  _ You know what it feels like to be isolated and destroyed the same way that Ray was. _

The laughter of the vindictive marionette king echoed in the chamber as wetness began to roll down your cheeks. 

“Don’t fall for it, [Y/N]!” You snapped your attention to Zen as he was being dragged out of the room to the dungeons. “That’s not who he is! Listen, don’t stop fighting! Never stop fighting for yourself up here! You need to pluck the apple from the tree. Remember, as you did when I took you on your first assignment!” 

The… apple?

Your eyes widened. 

He was talking about the crown. 


	16. Chapter 16

There was once a time when you were merely a child that didn’t know what they were doing.

You often cried and hoped that someone would have sympathy for you but they never did. You were just another kid on the streets that would die sooner than not and no one wanted to help someone who wouldn’t benefit anything. It was why you took to theft to survive but while you managed to take what you wanted, you never took more than you needed.

Just a few bites of food, just a few sips of clean water, and nothing more than that. You were a child, and surely nobody would notice a few bites missing from their table. That was where you doubted who you were stealing from for the last time, and by taking from a feast, you were forever sold to the man who called himself Red Hood. 

He saw that you had talent but deemed you good enough to be used in the field given your childish nature. The second that he saw anything that he could use, you were spared a death sentence or you were damned to suffer forever, you would later discover. Death might have been a mercy, you would know in hindsight. 

You were handed away to the White Devil, who was a few years your senior but someone that had proven himself to Red Hood time and time again. With a title like that, you thought that he would be cruel and callous, but the man that you would come to know as Zen was far more kind than he was menacing. He sympathized with your position. 

He had been in a similar position himself, except that he willingly approached the criminal to make a deal that would trap him until he could pay off the loan that he took out. Even though you could recall his kind smile as the first one that you’d seen since the passing of your parents and you took to him like he was the brother you never had. 

Zen treated you the same way, like a little sibling that he wanted to look out for and protect. He showed you everything that he knew and more when you were working together in the field. He had the charm to swindle anyone and you had the innocent face that would sell the story that he spun around and around for the rich to believe. 

It was the only time in your life where you felt like you were having fun, and that first time that he took you out, he showed you how to survive. You could remember that day where he took you by the hand and showed you how easy it was to trick a rich man. 

It took a matter of seconds by his side, you distracted them and Zen took everything they had in a matter of minutes and that was that. The memory was stitched deeply inside of you and you would never forget that day because it changed the path that your life was on and the road that you were on forever. 

_“Good sir, it seems to be that you’ve dropped this.”_

_Zen held out the gold coin in his hand and flashed it to the man. The rich man’s eyes widened and he took it from the young man. He nodded his head and thanked him profusely. It didn’t take long for Zen to get him enriched in a conversation about the state of the world and how there were no good common men left around to do such good deeds for someone._

_You were only nine years old, but even you knew that he was too good at buttering someone up. It was too easy for him. You thought that crying was enough to trick someone to steal a few coins but this was well above your level. You kept trying over and over and over to learn how to do things like that on your own but it never worked out._

_Your parents had told you that if you wanted to geet somewhere, you had to be diligent and focus on your studies. But, there was no studying that you had the power to find on your own to help you learn how to be a better thief. It left you to flounder often, but still, you kept stubbornly trying to do it right. Before you had been handed off to Zen, you had been forced to stick it alone._

_You failed almost every single time you were on your own._

_Yet, you kept trying and Red Hood’s patience was wearing thin. The only reason you had this chance was that Red Hood wanted you to prove your use to him. He wanted you because it wasn’t often that he’d found crafty young thieves to use. How had Zen learned all of this, anyway?_

_You stared at him in awe the entire time before you remember that you had a job to take care of._

_While Zen kept the man talking, you were quick to bundle up everything that he had in the tavern and get out of the way with a solemn nod back to your partner. Nobody thought a thing about some kid wandering around because there were plenty of young workers that were hired as cheap labor if they were paid for the work at all._

_It made it all too easy for you to get everything you needed._

_The adrenaline was pumping in your veins the entire thing, though, and all you could think about was getting back to the waiting point for Zen to catch up with you. He did, eventually, but you were left in wait underneath an apple tree. Food was always the one thing that you had a weakness for and you figured it would be alright to take from a tree rather than a person._

_You were still… traumatized about the incident with Red Hood to try and steal food again._

_With a huff, no amount of shaking was enough to get you what you wanted. You weren’t used to climbing trees, but a part of your new duty meant that you had to be fast and able to get the heck out of the way if the guard came around. This kingdom may have been near the sea but the grassland was fraught with a lot of trees. The easiest way to move around without guards tailing you was through the trees._

_It was the scaling that was a problem for you at this age. Your arms were too short to reach what you needed. It wasn’t the first time that you were at a disadvantage because of something that was out of your control. When Zen came around to find you, he wasn’t surprised to see you pouting and trying to pretend that you weren’t annoyed._

_He called you out on it, too._

_“You know, there’s an easier way to get what you want. You just have to be clever to get there,” he offered his advice and handed you a rock. “Now, if you catch reach something and you can’t get your hands on it the way someone with more power can, then you need to improvise. Take that rock, for example, if you aim just right, you should strike the stem and get it to loosen or fall free.”_

_You were skeptical, of course, but who were you to disregard the tips from someone that hadn’t steered you wrong thus far. So, you took a few steps back and listen to how he advised you on how to sharpen your aim and then you let it go. It missed the apple, and you had to try again, and again, and again. But, your persistence won in the end._

_You struck the stem rather than the apple and with a firm shake from the tree after weakening its binds, it came loose and fell into your hands. “I won’t always be around to tell you how to be cunning, so you need to learn how to think fast. That’s the only way you’ll survive bound to Red Hood, understand? If you don’t put in the work, then you’ll never pay him off.”_

_That was the sweetest apple that you had ever tasted and you had worked for it._

It was also the day that you gained your name. You no longer could use your common name because it would make it easier for the guard to find you and take you down. Zen was the one that looked at you once and called you what you would come to use as your alias without hesitation. 

He said that you were a sparrow.

Sparrows are hard workers who work all day long to gather food and ensure their nests stay together with the weather. They are a true symbol of diligence and patience in a life of hard work. If you want to get where you want to be then you have to work for it and Zen was reminding you of that. He had called you a sparrow in the hopes that your hard work would give you your wings someday. 

That feeling you had went you worked with Zen all those years in the past? It was a real rush, a rush that made you feel like you were getting back at the people that left you to die in the streets. People with too much money in their pockets. People that didn’t care about anything but getting more and more and more without giving back. 

Greed could make a demon out of someone, and when it wasn’t applied to being hopeful for time with the people that you love… it turned a person into a real monster. A monster who couldn’t see anything but their desires and needs that could never truly be completed because they already had everything that they could ever want and it wasn’t enough. 

It would never be enough for them. 

That was what told you that Rika and Red Hood were going to never stop. No matter what they did, it was never going to be enough. Even when they got rid of you and Saeran… that would never be the end of it. That wasn’t something that you could change, no, you knew what was in the hearts of those that had no soul. 

If you submitted to everything, then the suffering would know no end. There was something that you had to do and if it wasn’t for Zen, you may have fallen to the darkness and accepted that this was your end. However, if there was one thing that you needed to hear it was that—

No matter who tried to clip your wings and lock you away, you would keep trying to get back to that blue sky. 

—

You had to act fast and you couldn’t think it through. You knew that thinking was the source of the problem and that you couldn’t outwit someone that had the advantage. You had to use the element of surprise pray that it worked. So, you did what you knew best, you waited for Saeran to make a move once more and held your breath. 

The chains on your ankles kept you bound to the throne but you still could stand up and walk, though not for very far, it was just enough that you could reach him if he wanted it. It was late into the night when he returned to you from taking care of Rika’s orders and the saunter he had in his step told you that he meant to play. 

So, you would play. 

“That’s no way to greet the man who spared your life,” he said, pointedly, coming to rest two steps in front of you. “What’s the fanfare? Where’s the excitement? You never know when I may decide to pity you. I thought you had more hope than that.” 

You didn’t lift your head. 

Saeran wanted a reaction. He liked to see people squirm and fall down and as long as you didn’t give him that, he was going to lash out. Your plan was shoddy and you didn’t even know if the crown was going to make a difference in him but Zen said you had to try, and you knew that he was close enough to the former king to know something. 

The crown was a part of the curse. 

But, was Saeran from the curse of the crown? 

You had to know, you had to see for yourself what the answer was. Holding your breath, you could feel Saeran come closer and closer until his breath rustled over your cheek. You could feel him grip your cheek with one of his hands before he lifted your head to make sure that you were looking into his eyes instead of avoiding him. 

“There we are,” he smirked. “Isn’t that much better? Look at you, you’re still trying to keep your composure even now. Did all your tears dry up? Did you realize that it’s hopeless to try and fight back against the truth?” 

Sucking in a shallow breath, you forced yourself to remain as stiff as possible. “Yes,” you said as if you’d reached a revelation.

Saeran raised a brow at that. He didn’t expect you to say that because he didn’t respond. He seemed to be waiting for your elaboration on the subject as proof of whatever you had learned while you laid in wait for him. 

“I was wrong,” you started to say as you felt your hand twitch at your side. Not fast, don’t move as fast, you told yourself. “I was wrong to think that I could outwit anyone. I’ve done a lot of bad things in the name of justice and fairness but really… I don’t know if I was always right. I shouldn’t have tried to take the crown or the gems.” 

“Naturally,” his tone was dry. 

“And, I’m sorry, Saeran. I’m sorry that I hurt you, and I’m sorry that I hurt Ray too. I know that an apology doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things but you deserve to hear an honest apology from someone,” Your hand began to rise behind him but Saeran was too caught up in trying to search your face for lies and cruelty. He would find nothing. 

“Whether it’s the curse that binds you to this castle or something else, neither of you deserved to deal with all of this grief and animosity. I know that Ray dreamed of a kingdom where nobody would get hurt ever again and I know that you dream of that as well, even if you see a different road to get to that place. I will never truly know the pain in your heart, not wholly. I won’t pretend that I do.”

“But, I know what it feels like to be caged. I know what it feels like to be forced to become someone that you aren’t and hate yourself for it. Saeran, I understand that pain, and I wear it on my sleeve every single day. I will never be able to make up for what happened, but I’m never going to stop trying to see this through. That’s why they call me the Sparrow. I never stop trying, no matter what stupid that is.”

His silence, stunned or not, was what you needed to fuel you forward to take back everything that had been done to harm him. It didn’t matter what he did in his life, as long as he wasn’t wearing this crown, he would have the right to choose for himself what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. 

Ray had always dreamed of the sea and freedom. 

The thought of him was what motivated you. 

And, you thought, whatever Saeran wanted, he had the right to decide for himself what he wanted without the crown forcing him to believe something. 

“That’s why I’m willing to burn to ash if it means that you have the right to choose what you want to do with your life, and even if you never can forgive me for what happened, I want you to remember that you made that choice, and nobody forced you to make it. That’s why I—” your hand touched the crown and he realized what you were about to do but it was too late for him to stop you. 

“What do you think you’re—!” 

You yanked the crown from his crown and tossed it behind you with a heavy clatter to the ground. Far from his reach or your own. 

“...” 

Your heart was beating out of your chest. Neither of you moved, but the swirling pool of darkness in that room felt lighter. 

However, when you looked back at him, his steely was undaunted for the longest moment. He stared at you, and you starred at him. The crown hadn’t made him become Saeran. It had fueled his anger and more, but he was still Saeran. There was no magical flutter that returned Ray to the surface, only the man that you had come to know over these last few days. 

“...Saeran?” 

“Expecting someone else?” he countered, his hands gripping your wrists tightly. “Am I a joke to you, did you just try to steal my crown, again— even though I’ve bound you in chains like a dog to this throne?! Who do you are?!” 

“Your friend!” the frustration poured out of you at the last second as you felt your voice crack and shatter into pieces. “Saeran, that crown is controlling you! The queen charmed those stones with magic and she’s been manipulating you from the start! I know that Ray could see the magic in things, can’t you? He was the one that taught me how to see it! Look at me, look at that crown! Tell me that you see it!”

Your ragged breath tangled with his but he had no choice but to look at the crown. 

He saw exactly what you saw, the dark glimmering energy that pooled and seeped from the gems as it sat there on the ground, not hurting anyone but taunting anyone that dared to place it upon their brown without thinking it through. Saeran couldn’t deny that there was magic, but that look in his eyes was of confusion. 

He wasn’t proficient in magic, but Ray had mentioned that he studied magic in its technical terms to try and find a cure for his curse. 

“You see it,” you continued, knowing that he had. “You see that there’s magic in it. Why would there be magic in your crown, Saeran? That doesn’t seem right, does it? Think about it, think about what’s happened, about what the queen has been telling you, and why she would want to make you upset in the first place. Isn’t magic fueled by your emotions?” 

“...What?” the words escaped his lips. 

Now, he was confused. 

“Saeran, think about all of this, you know the queen closed off the castle to everyone and then it just so happens that she’s working with a man that you’ve never seen of or heard about before, yet you were to become the king and should have been entitled to everything that was going on well in advance to your ascension! She’s trying to use you for her desires and because you trust your mother so very much, you never expected her to do this.” 

“But, there’s no denying those gems in the crown,” the flurry of information escaped you faster than you could stop it. “I gave those to Red Hood after Ray helped me escape, the man that demanded that I was Red Hood has been in the castle with you, and he planted them on me before I came to the party. He’s been working with the queen this entire time! Think about this, Saeran, surely you’ve seen her trying to undermine your authority!” 

His hands had risen to clutch his head, the impending sign of a headache. Was it possible that magic could overwhelm someone once it was taken away? You knew that she needed to keep adding more and more magic to the crown to control him, that’s what she implied, so did that mean that the overuse on him had taken to wash over him? 

“No, no… no!” he hissed, nails digging into his scalp. “No, you can’t— You can’t make sense— That isn’t right! This isn’t right!” 

“Saeran… please,” you tentatively reached to touch his cheek. He didn’t jerk away but you could feel tears starting to leak from his eyes as his breath became haphazard once more. “I know it’s not right and I know you’re angry about the magic but—”

And just like that, you watched as he lifted his head and gazed into your eyes, a dazed confusion blurring his features before the watery tears escaped. He looked at you as if he didn’t know you, or if he couldn’t place your face, and then he blinked, those narrowed eyes opening widely as he gasped, those mint eyes looking at you in soft. 

“No… no… no…” he breathed, looking at you and then down your body, and then back at his own hands and haggard appearance. “This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening, this isn’t— this isn’t what I wanted—I never wanted to— [Y/N], no!” 

“...?”

He dissolved into a flurry of whimpers and whispers that you couldn’t make sense of anymore. It made you think about the last time you’d see him cry. It hadn’t been Saeran who cried like this to you in the stillness of the night about his frustration over the magic that had trapped him. It had been Ray, it had been him.

It was a one in a million chance but you tested the waters, trying to see if that pit in your stomach was right. “Ray?”

He looked at you, and there was recognition in his eyes. That sob in his throat was pushed away as he began to speak again, “It’s all my fault— I was so upset… I… I… I don’t know… I thought he was gone… I thought Saeran was gone…. No, wait... “ he muttered. “I… You… that man…. That man that… said you were Red Hood… you can’t be Red Hood… all I remember is… being upset… wait...” 

Did Ray remember what happened? 

Wait, what did he mean by Saeran… being gone? 

“[Y/N],” he tried again. “Are you Red Hood?” 

“He’s Red Hood,” you gently clarified. “He tricked me. He put the stones in my bag and made sure that the guards caught me when I was trying to complete my final task for him. He was… going to… let me go if I took the crown for him, and if I…. if I refused…” 

A somber note hit you before you could complete that thought. He had started to undo the locks that rested on your legs. 

You looked away from Ray but his hands lowered to take ahold of yours. It gave you the strength to finish, “He said if I refused, that the group would take your life in front of me, and then he’d end mine right after. But, that’s no excuse, Ray. I’m so sorry. I should have told you. I should have tried harder to fight Red Hood. Now, Rika and he have been using the crown to manipulate you, and Saeran.” 

His breath was haphazard. 

You waited for him to say he didn’t believe you, but it never came. Rather, Ray clung to you and wrapped his arms around you, desperate to not let you go. It made you shut your eyes and choke back your sobs. You missed him, you missed him so much and he was—

“The crown…” he breathed. He was looking beyond you at the crown as if he saw the glimmer of the magic from the gems. He saw it. There was no denying it. You could him hear trying to deny it and let it go, but… there was no way to explain why the crown would be embued with magic. “Mother… why? I thought… I thought she only knew healing magic… but… that… that’s dark magic, [Y/N].” 

His mother turned against him. 

You didn’t know what to tell him but you understood that he was upset. He had the right to be, he was being used. 

“Ray, we have to get out of here. They’re planning on using us as an excuse to pillage the land, look, look outside,” you shook the panic from your mind. Ray stiffened and looked in the direction of the open window. He could see the smog and the darkness where the sun once was and the two of you rose to look out of the window. 

The guard was there and countless people were being taken in chains and weapons were being forged on the ground. It looked like a scene from a nightmare and Ray was trembling the more that he had to see it. 

“But, my curse—” he stopped. “I’m trapped here. I can’t leave, [Y/N], but… I… I can get you out of here. You need to go, you need to run away as far as you can.” 

“Ray, no, I can’t leave you here—”

A voice spoke from the other side of the room and stunned you to your core as you clung tightly to Ray. “That’s right, Ray, they can’t leave, and neither can you. Tsk, tsk. I should have known not to leave you with this criminal.”

“Mother!” Ray’s widened eye looked back at the blonde curls. “Mother, why is there magic in the crown? Explain yourself, please. I don’t understand!” 

“All in due time,” Rika sighed. With a wave of her hand, the crown rose from the ground and flew across the room to rest in her hands. “Now, I hate to force you to do something. Mother knows best, Ray, so, listen to your mother and let go of that criminal.”

Ray wouldn’t let go of you. That didn’t please Rika. She had gone to a lot of trouble to control him and trick him, but now… the dark glimmer in her eyes told you that she was going to do something whether he liked it or not. You were both helpless to the power of a witch. 

A witch who planned to take everything that she wanted. 

“Mother, even if they were Red Hood, I never would have asked for a war! Or for them to be hurt! What’s happening out there? I wanted peace for our people… I don’t…. I don’t understand… why are you doing this to everyone? Father never would have wanted this.” 

“Ray… wait.” 

The mention of Jihyun Kim sent a surge of dark magic through the room and that knocked you on your ground. “You know nothing of your father! How dare you speak so crudely to your mother who only wants to protect you and care for you! You cling to a criminal that wanted to throw you away like trash instead of your own family. How dare you!”

You were forced against the wall by the binds of magic.

There was nothing that you could do to protect him from danger. 

With a wave of her hand, she compelled Ray to leave you and return to her side where he was forced to sink to his knees in front of her. She gripped his hair with one hand and that dark look in her eyes warned him of what was to come. “I don’t want to punish you, my son, but since you want to throw a tantrum like a child, I will treat you like a child.” 

“Stop this, please!” You pleaded with the queen but it fell on no one’s ears. “He doesn’t want to hurt anyone! All Ray wants is to bring harmony to our people!” 

Rika’s eyes met yours, and she smiled, broadly. Magic surging into the crown once again with a fiery intensity. “And that’s where our dear Ray is wrong, and that’s where the former king was wrong. The people are pitiful and foolish. Only those on top deserve to receive the gift of God’s good favor, and it was wrong for anyone to think otherwise. So, you will bear witness to the destruction of the last shred of light that exists in that damned Jihyun’s reign. Go to sleep, Ray, I don’t need you anymore. It would have been so much easier had I simply just taken your brother instead.” 

“...!” 

A gasp escaped his lips but the magic forced him to hang his head with a slump. 

The magic that was forcing your back started to cut into your throat second by second, and it was growing harder and harder to breathe. You tried to grasp at your skin but nothing would stop it and your vision began to cloud. 

He was in danger, he was in danger—

Just as the crown was to rest upon his brow once more, it was knocked from her hands and fell to the floor once more, and your body went slack. 

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

Hi! So, I have gotten a few comments before about the outfit that the Reader-Insert wears in Calluna, and I decided to go ahead and dish out an outfit that you could use as a reference if you want to draw yourself or your MCs in the place of the Reader. The Reader isn’t gendered or anything, but I figured that I should design two different styles for the people that would like to wear a skirt or pants, both are canon, and no matter which style you want to imagine yourself in, it’s what our Thief wears because you’re our Thief! You're free to imagine any of their looks as you please, but I think this can help you feel better immersed with my image, haha. 


	17. Chapter 17

You awoke to the sounds of fire and nothing more. The immediate reaction was to jolt upright and fight because the last thing that you remembered was the feeling of magic seeping into your veins as Rika tried to destroy Ray. You met mint eyes, but not the mint eyes that you had gone to know over the past few weeks. They belonged to the king whose face you couldn’t remember.

“Take it easy, take it easy,” he said, gently. “There’s still magic in your body and… dark magic isn’t something to laugh off. It takes hours to wear away.”

You didn’t want to do that. However, you took the water that he offered you and cleared the dryness in your throat with a soft heave. It hurt, every part of you ached to the core, and you wondered if this was what Ray felt… what Saeran felt… to imagine feeling that all of the time was not good. Your eyes began to widen.

“Ray,” your voice rasped. “Where’s Ray? Where’s Saeran—”

“You need to rest.”

“No,” you made yourself sit up. You ignored the aching in your joints and looked at him without blinking. Narrowing your brow, you asked again. “Where is he?”

Jihyun looked away from you. There was a flash of guilt in his eyes that you knew very well from the last time that you had spoken to him. It made that sickening feeling in your stomach only grow much stronger. There was no sign of him, none. That only meant—

“He was too close to the queen,” was your answer. “Even with the men that I brought to rescue the two of you from her clutches, there was nothing we could do to take him. She would have burned all of us to ash if we dared take him at that moment. Without you in danger, that means that we can focus on saving him from her next time.”

You buried your face in your hands. A pitiful sob burned at you just as soon as you did, and you knew why, you knew that Ray was going to die now. The queen was going to use him, and she was going to use Saeran until they were about to break down, and then… they would be thrown to the lions faster than anyone could stop it.

She was going to kill him.

She would tell everyone that you had been slain, as well.

“She’s about to send her troops on a siege to the bordering kingdoms,” you cried, nails digging into your scalp. “And the minute that people see what’s been done and burned to the ground, they’re going to come back here and kill him! He never did anything wrong and he’s going to suffer because of what she wants! I thought you were going to rescue him! Why— Why did you take me?!”

“She was going to hurt you as—”

“I don’t give a damn what happens to me!” Your chest heaved as you looked back at Jihyun slapping his hand away before he could reach out and try to comfort you. “I’m nothing! I’m dirt! I’m just a thief! I’m a pawn to be used and thrown away! But, him? He’s never done anything wrong in his life and you said you were going to save him! He wants to continue your supposed mission of peace and this is how you repay him?! You take the thief instead of him?”

“Are you an idiot, or are you a king? I don’t care what magic she used on you or what she’s done if you knew that you could get him out of there, you should’ve taken him, and not me! I don’t care what may happen to me! I want Ray to be able to see the sea! I want Saeran to be able to decide what he wants to do for himself! I want them to be safe and sound! Not thrown to the dogs because he’s a puppet king for the wiles of your former lover!”

You glowered and stared into those eyes of his. Those pitiful eyes that couldn’t seem to act but only apologize. “I don’t care what you do! But, I’ll never forgive you for taking me in his place. If you wanted to keep your promise then you would’ve saved him, then you would have fought harder! There’s no excuse for letting him suffer!”

“You’re right,” was his response.

Pathetic.

He was filled with apologies but nothing to hold them up.

“You’re damn right, I’m right!” the energy that you built up was starting to slowly fade away but you didn’t let yourself crumble in front of the king. “And— And— God, what were you even going to do about his curse? He can’t set a foot off the grounds! Unless… no, no... “

A sudden thought occurred to you that had never once come before. If the queen was someone that could use magic, then that surely meant that the spell on Ray might have been because of her own doing. If she knew intense and advanced magic then that meant that she could surely break any spell on him.

“She cursed in the first place, didn’t she?” you realized. It had been there in front of you all of this time but you never thought… even if she was willing to use him as a pawn, you never thought that he would have a mother willing to curse him as a young child like that. “She’s the reason that you’ve been jinxed to be forgotten by everyone, and she’s the reason that Ray is confined to the castle walls, isn’t she? How were you even going to help him then, if you can’t do magic?!”

Jihyun sucked in a breath. He slowly let himself take in all of your words and let them wash over him for a moment. He probably was thinking that he deserved it. Nobody had told him such things before but he might have told himself that. You didn’t care if it was hard for him or not, he needed to know and you needed to know.

There was a long pause between the two of you as the fire crackled.

“I suppose I owe you the whole story,” he finally said.

It wasn’t like you to be so angry but you couldn’t help yourself.

Ray was suffering and there was something that could be done about it. Saeran was suffering and there was nothing that you could do about it, either. This man was supposed to do that something and he was failing to do as he promised from the start. You wanted to know how all of this happened and how it came to be, and he seemed ready to talk.

No guards were threatening either of you.

Seemingly all the time in the world to talk about what happened in the past. You let yourself settle back against the blanket that you had been laid on and let the stars swirl in your vision as you laid back. He took a moment to collect himself before he began to spin the stories of the past that only he knew and he bore the burden of.

“It started a long time ago when I was just settling into my role of king. I met Rika one day in the enchanted forest, just beyond the mountains, and she stole my heart with her healing magic. She was helping others and she helped some of my men, and… I found myself spending more and more time with her and eventually, we were wed. It was alright for a while but… it was obvious she was burdened with harsh memories because…”

“The more time passed that I tried to correct years of injustice towards my people, the more that she went behind my back to instill more laws. She wanted to covet the crown as safety. She believed that her status as queen meant that she deserved everything and everyone else was to be begotten because they never helped her. I thought I could show her otherwise but… I was wrong to think that,” he had to admit.

“For a while, I felt like we were on the same page. It seemed that way, and then, things changed for the worse when she encountered some unfortunate brothers in her travels.”

That made you remember what the queen had said before the air had been knocked from your lungs. She had said that she… should have taken his brother, but as far as you knew, the prince was an only child who had no brother.

Then again, magic had the power to mask faces, trap someone, and force them to be someone that they weren’t. Was it really a stretch to think that magic had coated your memory and skewed it to the brink of forgetting a person? It had happened to the king, it could happen to anyone that she wanted if she had enough power to do so.

“Brothers,” you murmured. “You mean… Ray has a brother, right?”

“Yes. He has a brother, a twin brother to be exact, and Rika made a deal with him. I agreed to the terms because we wanted to protect the boys from Red Hood’s tyranny. You see, those twins were born to a common woman, not of status, and she knew the identity of Red Hood. She knew that she could use his power to get whatever she wanted as long as she had the sons that bore his eyes. If the boys were ever to be away from their mother, they would be killed.”

“Saeyoung tried to make a bid to run away with his brother, and they were nearly killed in the process. Saeran… the boy you know as Ray, he was tortured the most by their mother, and it caused great harm to his body and mind. Rika happened to be in the area and she protected the boys from harm and had the foresight to bring them to the castle. Thusly, she discovered that Saeyoung had the affinity for magic and that he could be a wonderful student.”

“Rika thought it best to send Saeyoung away to study, but he didn’t want to leave his brother unprotected. So, I foolishly offered that Rika could use a spell to ensure the safety of the twins until the day came that we could capture Red Hood. Saeran was still recovering from the injury that he received but Saeyoung took the offer because he wanted to be stronger. So, Rika devised a spell to overwrite the memories of everyone in the kingdom that would allow everyone to see Saeran and think him to be our son that we’ve always had.”

“She couldn’t make everyone forget about them, but she could warp their memories enough that no one would question Saeran. For added safety, she changed his hair color and his eyes, permanently to ensure nobody could think he was the son of the crime lord. It was a big price. She had to rewrite Saeran’s memory as well once… he was a child, and she didn’t want to risk anything.”

“We intended to take care of them until Saeyoung finished his training. That was when Rika and he would work together to capture Red Hood. Finding someone takes the power of two magic users and that was our goal. But…” he trailed off.

You sucked in a breath.

It was a lot to take in all at once. Red Hood had children and the children of the man that had kept you his slave…

Saeran and his brother. They were both at great risk of that man’s vengeance. You knew what lengths he went to control you and you could only imagine what their childhood must have been like if they lived in fear as you did.

But, they had _nowhere to run._

You, at least, had Zen to turn to when you felt scared.

Your fears of Red Hood all this time had been warranted, the tyrant was willing to harm his own children to ensure his status. Now that you knew that he was a duke, it was no wonder that he had wanted to keep his lives separate. It made sense.

He wanted power but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. He needed the underground but he also needed his clean mask. You clenched your fists tightly at your side. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. Neither of them deserved to go through that pain. Nobody did. You could put two and two together after that. Rika had decided one day that she couldn’t stand Jihyun anymore.

And, after that, she simply got rid of him and began her plan to use Ray as a pawn. Nearly a decade of planning went into what she was doing.

“And you lived for a while, just the three of you until you realized that she was starting to build an army right under your nose,” you said, quietly. “That was when she staged the accident that you and he went through and distorted his memory even more after that to ensure that he would listen to anything that she wanted, right?”

Jihyun’s expression was grim. “Yes. That dark magic in your veins right now is the same that infects his blood. That’s why he’s still bound to the castle to this moment. The spell meant to keep anyone from stealing him from the castle has only been enchanted each year with more strength. I was foolish to think that spell of hers was to protect him. It was to ensure that I couldn’t rescue him, not just to keep Red Hood from sauntering in.”

You shook your head, incredulous. “And, how exactly were you going to be able to remove him from the castle, then? I’ve seen the magic myself. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I pulled against that magic, he was still bound to the walls. Even if you came to rescue him, and myself… how were you going to overturn the spell?”

Jihyun leaned over and rooted through a bag that he was carrying. He paused for a moment and then pulled a bottle out. It was filled with a glimmering liquid that you couldn’t distinguish against the soft light of the fire because it was illuminated by its own light. It was almost unnatural, and it reminded you of the way that magic manifested itself in the air.

He placed it within your hands and you inspected it closer, seeing the faintest marks of what Ray had shown you. It didn’t seem to be saturated in the way that the dark magic had been. No, this felt more like a potion of health. This had to be good magic, the magic of the light, and not the dark magic that you had seen in the castle.

“I’ve spent years searching for the counterspell for what she placed upon him. It took me a while to find all of the ingredients but I finished right after I spoke with you. Zen, I believe you know him, was the one that helped me locate the final plant that belonged to the spell as it only grows in a very remote area of our kingdom.”

Your heart clenched as you thought about Zen.

Was that why he had tried to save you when he returned and found out that you had been locked away tightly? No wonder he hadn’t run into the fire as soon as possible, he had been working with the king to get him what he needed. Zen was always willing to help someone that had kindness in their eyes and if your friend trusted Jihyun…

You wanted to believe in this.

Even if you were hurting and upset about everything.

You gripped that bottle like a life-line, “Then, let’s go save him now, King Jihyun. We shouldn’t waste any more time. We need to go back and save him from her wrath before it’s too late. Before anyone else gets hurt. All he needs to do is drink this... if I can get him to do that, that means that you'll be able to get him away from Rika as soon as possible. We just need to find one opening... and then it'll be possible to save him, right?"

"Yes. All he needs to do is drink the potion," he confirmed. "The spell that's binding him to the castle will be broken immediately and he will be able to escape. I'm afraid that we're running out of time as we speak."

You looked back in the direction of where you assumed the castle to be beyond the walls of this room that you were residing in. You would do anything to ensure that he would be able to be free from these walls and you would not hesitate. You would do whatever it took. You looked back at the potion in your hands. This was it, this was his ticket to freedom and you would give it to him no matter what happened to you. No matter what burned you in the process or knocked you down. You would give him his freedom. "I'll do it," you said, simply. "I'll make sure that he drinks it. You just need to distract the queen... can you do that?" 

Jihyun was quiet, but then he nodded. "I can do that. Yes. But, I must ask you one thing as you guard my hard work with your life... before we try to stop the execution that is set to occur in the coming hours. Do you promise to defend his dreams?"

“On my life.”


	18. Chapter 18

He had spent many years training and learning for the day to come that he could return and defeat his father and rescue his brother. They could finally live in peace. He intended to take revenge for himself but as it turned out, the queen said that Red Hood had been caught and that he had no reason to live in hiding anymore. He could join his brother at the castle—

They could live in peace and without worry. 

Luciel had spent years without much contact from the castle but there was a reason for that. He knew that he needed to focus on his training and thinking about Saeran would only make matters harder for him to deal with his training. He needed to focus. He knew that Saeran was living peacefully as a young prince in the castle with everything he could ever want. 

He was protected by the spell that Rika placed upon him so no one could ever remove him from the grounds and if anything, the spell that changed his hair and eyes would be enough to ensure that no one ever thought that he was anything more than the prince. He was filled to the brim with a sense of relief. 

If Red Hood was dead, that meant he was free and his brother was free. 

They were finally free from their chains. 

Luciel didn’t know what he was going with his newfound freedom but he wanted to explore with his brother and he knew that once they were together, he would have nothing to worry about anymore. It would be okay and they would be able to exist after being separated for so many years. He would have to thank the queen for her effort. 

She wanted to protect them and she had done it. It may not have been the way that Luciel thought but he was happy nonetheless. His father was no longer a threat and he knew that his magic could protect his brother no matter where they went now. It was a matter of time until he could do as he wanted, as Saeran wanted. 

His brother had always wanted to see the seas… and now, he could. Luciel wanted to see it through for himself and he would. So, he left the mountains where he had been training for so long and headed to the castle to see his brother. He still couldn’t master the spell to traverse long distances so he had to go on foot for some time before he was close enough to cloak himself in the spell to reach the castle. 

Luciel cloaked himself in magic and arrived at the castle as soon as he could. He pushed open the doors to the throne room and stared into the darkness of the room. It was too quiet. He sauntered in and let himself flick his wrist to allow magic to illuminate the room. 

What he saw made him stop in his tracks. 

His brother was sitting on the throne with a crown on his brow, the dark magic seeping from the metal and almost taunting him. His mint eyes were glazed over and lost… as if the magic had drained him of all that he held in his hands. There was almost nothing left of him. It was enough to stun Luciel to cry out to his brother—

“Saeran!” 

His brother didn’t react. 

“Oh, he’s not going to respond. The spell he’s under is far too complex for anyone to break except for the castor, Saeyoung.” 

Luciel whipped his head to the side to see the queen standing there with a man at her side, and his red mask made him nearly stumble to the ground. Red Hood was standing at her side and… she seemed to be the source of the spell that had enchanted his brother. 

“You…!” he gasped. “What are you doing in the castle?!”

“You know,” Rika said, thoughtfully. She gave a flick of her wrist as the hum of darkness began to gather in her hands and Luciel instinctively jumped back to bring up a wall of magic to defend himself from the threat. “It isn’t quite as fun to have this conversation without everyone knowing the truth of your past.” 

Luciel held his breath as she waved her hand and let the spell she’d created years ago break down as Saeran’s eyes snapped open. Red Hood seemed jostled as well, the mask slipping from his face as he looked between the queen and Luciel. She’s removed the blindness curse that she’d put upon the people in this room to make them misplace their memories of the twins. 

“Sae… young…” 

No, no…! 

This wasn’t happening.

“...!” 

“I see now,” Saejoong commented, idly. “So, I see you’ve saved me the trouble of hunting them down once the rest of the kingdom bends to our will. I knew there was something I remembered about that boy but I see it now. It appears you’ve made us of some pests.” 

“Of course,” Rika’s tone was sharp as Luciel’s gaze hurriedly flickered in the direction of his brother who was staring at him with a slack jaw. “Congratulations, Duke Choi, we’re going to be rid of these two by the end of the evening. If you’d be so kind as to put down your magic, Saeyoung, we’d be done much quicker.” 

“I would prefer not to make a mess in my castle, Saeyoung. We’re on a crunch for time and I need our marionette king to give the order this evening for the troops gathered in wait by the Han Kingdom to strike.” 

“What have you done to my brother?!” Luciel demanded. He didn’t drop his magic, he kept the burning red spark in his palms ready to strike like a caged animal. “You’ve been working with Red Hood? After everything, I told you?! You sent me a message that he was finally dead! What do you mean troops?! What have you been doing here since Jihyun died?! I thought you promised to keep him safe! You said...! That— That Saeran and I were finally going to be free!” 

“You’re free,” Rika began to say. 

A tense breath escaped from Saeran’s lips as he thrashed against the throne that he was bound to with chains. A flurry of memories seemed to overwhelm him all at once and it finally registered in his eyes who he was staring at. “Saeyoung! It’s a trap!”

Luciel only knew that because, in the fraction of a second that he had turned to look at his brother, Rika had charged her power and sent it flaring towards him. “You’re both free to die in the name of paradise!” 

He only had enough time to duck and roll away from the blast but Rika had him on his feet just as quickly as she’d snapped the way of her hand. 

Thus began a battle of two intense powers as they pushed against one another with blow after blow. Luciel had to move fast and hold his breath, using his speed alone to counteract the intensity of Rika’s magic. She was quick, but he had to be quicker. 

Seeing that amused expression on Saejoong’s face was enough to spurn him to keep moving. He wasn’t going to die in front of this man, nor was he going to let his brother suffer anymore. His eyes flickered in Saeran’s direction and he cursed, gritting his teeth as the flames of dark magic nearly bit at his ear due to the distraction.

He couldn’t afford to get distracted. 

_ Not now _ . 

She sighed, “Must you fight me, Saeyoung? All I need is your magic. Simply hand it over to me and I’ll free you both from your miserable lives. You won’t have to worry anymore because you’ll be at rest in your salvation for eternity!” 

“I will never let you hurt him!” 

“Fine, have it your way.”

She blocked his attacks with ease every time he managed to go in her direction. She followed him for a long moment as he ducked and dodged her attacks but the longer she pushed him, the more his breath became ragged, but just as he was set to return the next blow, she shifted her hand in the direction of Saeran. 

Luciel used both of his hands to channel energy and send it toward Rika. She stopped him with her magic before it could bridge the gap between the two of them. He was giving it everything that he had and she hadn’t broken a sweat. She was fighting him one-handed and with the darkest magic that he’d ever seen. 

You could only manifest that magic of that caliber, he thought, if you stole it from someone and sucked them dry. She’d harmed someone and stolen their magic to get that power and it made him sick to his stomach. The kind smile and hair of golden starlight was nothing but a mask that dared to make him Icarus. 

He had trusted the wrong person.

He had trusted her to protect Saeran with her life and this was how she repaid him? 

What happened to Rika? Or, rather, how long had she been hiding this side of herself as began to stage the world for something that she desired? It was hard to say. This wasn’t something that happened out of the blue. She had to harm others to get this power, she had to control others to get this power, and she had to break things apart to find Red Hood. 

This wasn’t okay. 

“You can’t protect yourself and Saeran,” she countered.

Luciel’s eyes widened as he realized what she was about to do. He couldn’t stop her magic and protect his brother, and the second he saw Rika’s hand raise and send magic in Saeran’s direction. His twin had nothing he could use to defend himself, chained and tattered to the throne with wide eyes and fear in his mint eyes. 

“No!” 

—

You didn’t have time to think. 

Every second that you and V made your way to the castle to break through its walls to rescue Saeran before it was too late, you could see the armies on their way traveling out of the kingdom. It meant that she’d already set her plan into motion and if something wasn’t done soon, it was possible that his life would be on the line by sunrise, if not earlier. 

They would likely say you were dead as well, thinking to kill whoever was left among those that would not submit to Red Hood. The dungeons would be a bloodbath, to say the least, and the last thing you wanted was to imagine not only Saeran or Ray dying but to imagine Zen and others that had finally gotten away from this fiend to die. 

It wasn’t fair; However, like wasn’t fair and you had to play things the hard way to ensure the success of things. 

There was no time to waste. 

Amid the chaos, it wasn’t hard for you to slip inside of the walls with a cloak over your head to mask your features. You weren’t like Jihyun. His face was something that nobody could remember or place in their minds, so he could get away with sneaking around, but everyone knew your face and knew very well who you were. 

The Sparrow… 

Red Hood. 

Whatever they wanted to believe, you weren’t just a thief, you weren’t just a crafty thief. 

You were [Y/N], not just Sparrow. You were someone who had hopes and dreams that existed outside of your time taking and trying to survive the cruel world. You were once a young person who lived by the sea with their parents who hoped to do something with their life. It was a long time since you let yourself say that name. 

However, when you thought of Ray, and you thought of the way that he smiled at your name… you wanted to give yourself a second chance. If you could rescue him, you wanted to be done with this life and with the weight of your crimes. You wanted to be free again, you wanted to be the free bird that you were always meant to be. 

Zen was right. 

And, if you were going to unlock the cage that had kept you trapped all this time, you were going to make your first act of freedom by freeing someone else. You were ready to die if it meant that he could be free from this hell. The weight of the bottle clenched tightly underneath your coat bore down on you the longer it took to get inside. 

There were the sounds of yelling and crashing from deep within the castle, and with a shared look, you and V both knew that you had to move fast. Without thinking, you opened the door to the throne room and nobody took notice of you or the former king. 

You were treated to the sight of a redhead with golden eyes standing off with the queen. You didn’t have the time to ask, but you feared that it was the twin brother that Jihyun had told you about and that made your stomach sink. If he was here, Rika might have wanted to get rid of him with his brother. 

“You can’t protect yourself and Saeran,” the queen said, and you could feel a lump forming in your throat as she raised her hand to strike. You started to move but Jihyun rushed past you and ran into the line of fire to protect Saeran. Everyone, including yourself, stared in horror as the former king took the heavy blow of magic and hit the ground with a thud. 

She let out a horrified shriek and everyone went quiet. 

In that stunned silence, you moved, you brushed past the horrified queen and headed straight for Saeran. Your breath caught in your throat as you caught up to him, his eyes widened and tired with exhaustion. He was locked tightly to the throne so without stopping to think, you began to unlock the restraints as fast as you could. 

You couldn’t think about anything. 

You had to help him. 

You had to get him out of here as soon as possible. 

Your heart was pounding against your chest as you ignored the urge to look back at Jihyun. He had put himself in danger to protect Saeran. If you had any doubt about him and how far he was willing to go to make things right, you didn’t anymore. You wanted to help him as well, but he made you promise to protect Saeran. 

And you would keep his final promise. 

“You… you came back,” Saeran said. 

You looked back to meet his mint eyes. Gone was the sullen look in his eyes, but it didn’t quite feel like he was Ray… but it didn’t quite feel like it was Saeran, either. You cut through the last of the knots and let you go free. He rubbed at his bruised wrists, and you nodded. “I wasn’t going to leave you behind in this place. Never.” 

“After I… after I hurt you,” he said, voice muffled by the hum of magic that lingered in the air around you. “I don’t… I don’t…” 

“We can talk later, Saeran, we need to get the hell out of here,” Pulling the bottle from your pocket, you placed it into his hands. You wrapped his fingers around it tightly so it wouldn’t slip from his grasp. It was the hard work that took years to make and you weren’t going to let it break down and slip away from you. 

“What is this?” 

“Your freedom,” you insisted. “It’s the cure to the binding spell that keeps you in the castle. I need you to drink this, Saeran. We can’t waste time right now. I know you may not want to trust me but I need you to trust me one more time..” 

“...!” 

Saeran looked at the bottle and then back at you. He seemed to be thinking it through and then much to your surprise, he uncapped the lid, and with your help raised the glass to his lips to slowly down the glimmering liquid. You weren’t sure how it was going to work but you had no time to test it, you just had to run and pray it to let him escape. 

“It’s over, Rika, stop it now,” a voice spoke from behind you. You were too focused on Saeran to take a glimpse at the owner of that voice, but you trusted anyone that was going to tell her to stop. “Do you see what you’ve done? Do you see the cost of that dark magic, now? Look at what you’ve done to all of us!” 

“Saeyoung…” Saeran’s voice was weak. 

His brother, you thought. 

Taking the bottle from his hand, you stashed it away and offered to hold his weight against your body as the two of you turned to face the scene behind you. You were greeted with the sight of the queen trembling over the downfallen body of the former king with widened eyes, the scream that had once been in her throat was now broken down. She was silently numb as the spark from her fingers unglued the jinx from his body. 

You stared, watching as his face revealed itself to you, taking note of his mint hair and tired expression as he lay there limply. Both of the twins murmured his name in surprise but there was nothing any of you could do about it. 

Jihyun had taken that blast willingly and it was possible that he may never wake up. You still felt sluggish and exhausted but you were trying to bite your tongue to fight it, and that had only been a tiny use of dark magic. He took the receiving end of a strike that was meant to kill someone like it was nothing. 

“No… No…” her broken voice was desperate, but you felt no pity in your heart. She had done all of this and she was to blame for her outcome. 

Saeyoung was still on guard as Red Hood watched the scene from the corner of the room, knowing that he had no magic or power to use against anyone now. He was helpless and even if he tried to make a run for it, the redhead wouldn’t let him go. You could feel that from the fierce stance that he held in front of you and Saeran. 

“I’m sorry, Saeran,” he said, looking over his shoulder at his twin. “I never should have left you behind back then. You were injured, but I should have fought harder to stay with you. I thought I could trust her to protect you. There was no other choice back then because they only gave me this deal, but it’s no excuse.” 

Saeran was deafly quiet as he gripped your hand tightly as if it was the lifeline that he needed to keep himself upright. You knew that he had no choice. His brother acted to protect him with everything he had in his hands at the time, and it pained him in a way you couldn’t imagine. He made a deal as a young child that didn’t know better. 

Much as you had.

“You… were trying to protect me, you… you were always trying to protect me. I always felt… like a part of me was missing. I missed you, I… I didn’t know what I was missing until she let the spell break over my eyes,” his voice was low but sincere. “I would have… I would have wanted to go with you if I could pick… but...” 

Something was left unspoken in the air as you felt two sets of eyes linger on you for a long pause. He nodded, “I know…. But, it seems like you found someone that wanted to protect you while I couldn’t do it. I have to say that I’m grateful that someone was here for you.”

“Hey,” you started to say—

But you stopped yourself. 

Even though you had messed up quite a bit, you were willing to say that yes, you had wanted to protect him all this time. That had been your goal from the start. You wanted to share something special with a prince that gave you sympathy and kindness when no one else had dared to spare you such a luxury with no second thought. 

Saeran only pulled you close. You looked back at him and there was a small smile on his face as you brought yourself to return it. “I understand how you must have felt now… wanting to do everything that you can for someone without thinking of what happens to you in the process. I… I… I want to say that I forgive you for what happened before I doubt myself, brother.” 

Saeyoung’s smile grew. 

You looked him over. They had the same features even if their eyes and hair color weren’t the same anymore. You could see that they were twins. 

Saeyoung was wearing a dark maroon vest over a white shirt that bellowed out at the sleeves. His slacks were black and the boots were as well, a cloak that would have been over his shoulders was abandoned on the floor. His hair was red and his eyes were golden, a bit messy but you could see that he tried to look his best. A smile seemed to be common for him. 

If you looked back at Saeran, you’d see him wearing a black shirt, the color undone just a bit at the neckline, and the cape over his shoulders that you had seen the last time. It was a deep shade of the same emerald in his crown. His hair was a bit more kempt than it had been the last time but it was still that shade of white that caught your eyes in the first place. 

“This isn’t over,” Saejoong’s voice broke the three of you away from your conversation. The man was standing there with a blade in hand. He seemed ready to go down with a fight. He had no magic, all he had was the power of his words. His words meant nothing now. There was nothing that he could do, he was powerless to hurt the brothers. 

“Oh,” Saeyoung turned his head to look back at Red Hood. You knew that he was glowering at the man as he raised his hand, glowing embers from his hands poised to attack. “You don’t want to try something right now, Saejoong. You have no power here. Whatever deal you made with her isn’t going to do anything when she’s like this.” 

Rika had grown silent as she continued to stare at the fallen king. It was like she was in a state of shock that couldn’t be broken.

“You’re powerless,” he continued. The magic not dying for a moment as he stared. “You have nothing you can use against me or Saeran. Your power was always your words and how you could manipulate others but there’s no one left for you to try to manipulate.” 

“And, you’ll never do it again, not to us, not to [Y/N], and most certainly not to anyone else in this kingdom,” Saeran spoke from your side without fear. The crown atop his head was still there but the magic had seemingly dissipated. You couldn’t see the glimmer of dark light coming from the emerald stones anymore. 

It still bore the mark of a king. 

As far as the kingdom was concerned, he was the king, and anything that he said was law. 

He let go of your hand for just a moment as he took his spot next to his brother as they stood together in a united front against the man that had made their lives a living hell from the start. You stood behind them, as you watched two strong men come together, feeling something surge inside of you. 

Awe, pride, joy, and all sorts of emotions that couldn’t be subjected to the trappings of one single word alone. They both suffered so much and now they were able to stand their ground against the man that had started it all. You couldn’t imagine what that felt like, but seeing the look of fear in the eyes of the man that had hurt you as a child brought you a sense of peace. 

“I charge you with crimes against humanity, against the kingdom, not limited to but including manipulating children off the streets to bend them to your will, killing anyone that dared to turn against you, threatening the lives of the people under your jurisdiction, running an empire of crime that has harmed our people, and planning to kill your own children, to say the least.” 

As Saeran doled out his sentence, a stillness overtook the room. 

Which was broken a few seconds later as the sound of footsteps coming from down the hall, it was Zen that was standing in the doorway, hot breath on his lips as a few men appeared behind him. He looked at you with relief, but dread for Jihyun. It was so fast that you didn’t even register what was going on in this place. 

Jihyun must have freed them before he came to save you and Saeran. 

Red Hood was apprehended by the men and held back, and the queen was left on the ground where she sat, but with men waiting to catch her if she was willing to do anything. This fight was over and there would be no war to plague anyone in the kingdom anymore. No longer would anyone face that pain. 

“Someone needs to undo the spell placed on the troops before they make it out of the kingdom,” he said, his voice serious and with intent. “They’re on the outskirts of the village. Jihyun said that only the power of the crown and a strong magic user would be able to undo the curse placed upon all of them by the queen. Saeran… Saeyoung, we need you to break the mind-control.”

Amid the fire, you had almost forgotten. There was a war looming on the horizon that needed to be stopped before it was too late. 

“They were already halfway to Han territory when Jihyun and I got here,” you cursed, shaking your head at the state of things. “Is the magic going to be able to reach all of them in time before anything happens?”

“Not if we work together,” Saeyoung said. “The more people that put their intuition into a spell, the stronger it’s going to be. But, I’ve never tried that. We don’t have enough time to test it, either, we just have to try.”

“Better to say we tried,” Saeran commented, quietly. It went without saying that if they were to fail this, then everyone in this room would die before anything could be mended and fixated to the brink of recovery. 

The brothers shared a look before Saeyoung held out his hand to his brother, and Saeran took it tightly as they both breathed in. The humming glow of magic began to surge in the room as they united in a pair to right the wrongs of the adults that had failed them. The room grew so bright that you had to shield your eyes from it. 

And then, a calmness washed you like nothing else ever had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have one hour left until the final episode of Saeran's After Ending. It's a sobering experience and I'm not ready for it to end. I hope that our love continues for all four seasons and our promise of happiness is not only for our love but for our love of those that we care for the most and cherish. That being said, happy holidays per whatever you celebrate, and know that you're in my thoughts. Thank you for reading. We're nearing the end of this story as well. Only one chapter remains. You get two chapters this week because... it's my gift. You may have to wait until the new year for the epilogue.


	19. Epilogue

The sky had never looked so bright. At least, that’s what Saeran could say. He’d never thought that he would be able to see this view, and neither did Ray. To think that a few months ago they would have been locked away tightly in a castle with invisible shackles that kept him from being able to stray far from the stones that kept his gilded prison locked firm. 

It was a far cry from where he was now and all he could think of was the possibilities ahead. The breeze tickled his cheeks as the seas around him whispered their songs. Standing a ways ahead of him was you, the sparrow that showed him how to spread his wings and fly. You leaned against the edge of the ship as the ocean waves rocked the vessel. 

You glanced at the man standing next to you, his hair red and frayed at the edges. “How far do you it reaches? I could never wade deeper than waist-deep as a child.” 

Saeyoung chuckled. His studies in magic had taken him all over the place but the ocean was something that he was still learning about. “I’m not sure of it, myself. I heard tales that it can reach far deeper than the sky overhead. I wonder what sort of creatures exist within its watery deeps. You don’t think there’s actual catfish, do you?”

“Torso of a cat, lower half of a fish?” You mused, shaking your head at the question. Your laughter had made Saeran’s heart feel warm. “You know, I could’ve known the two of you were twins just from the questions that you both ask me about the world. It’s such nonsense but you almost make me want to believe in it.” 

“Hey, it’s not nonsense! You didn’t think magic existed until you saw it for yourself. The impossible can surely be possible. Just ask Saeran, he’d humor me on this!” 

“Darling, come and get your brother, he’s driving me mad at over with tales of mermaids and catfish again!” 

Saeran waved at the two of them with a smile as he kept his heads dead ahead at the open waters in front of them. There was so much to do and so much to discover but he was no longer bound by the weight of his past or the people that wanted to hide him away for their gain. He was a free man, and he was doing what he always wanted. 

“Follow this line here,” he directed the captain with a nod. “I have a good feeling about this.” 

The man seemed surprised, “But, sir, the map hasn’t been charted beyond this reach. Nobody’s ever been this far off from the course that we use traditionally. Once we pass these waters dead ahead, we’ll be in unknown territory with no way to turn around. Are you sure about that?” 

“Have I ever steered you wrong before?” Saeran countered. 

“No, my king, you have not.” 

“Onward, then.” 

The seas were wide and neverending. Saeran had never seen anything like it but now that he had, he never wanted to leave. Now that he had gained the support of his people, he could spread his wings and fly. This vessel was traveling to lands unknown, seeking the mystery of the unknown and the allure of what it meant to see something beyond comprehension. 

Well, what was a king to do when he wanted to help his people? 

He put himself on the front line to explore and better learn and understand the world. He would never ask someone to do something that he wasn’t willing to do himself. It surprised many to see him board the vessel with his brother and partner, head held high and eyes looking at the seas ahead. He’d learned long ago that there were lands beyond what they knew. 

And?

If they wanted to grow their kingdom and extend harmony, as well as unity, they needed to dare to dream the biggest dream. Everyone in their lands, no matter if it was their kingdom or not, always stood in their lands without trying to learn beyond that.

Saeran knew, he knew from what he had learned from you that if he wanted to understand something—

The only way you could do it was to do it yourself. If the king was willing to accept and adopt change, it would inspire the people to look to not only their kingdom but the rest of the world as united and looking for the same goal: Peace. Harmony. Success. This life was worth it because of the kindness and good faith that existed. 

And that was the sentiment that he and Ray wanted to extend to others. 

This warmth in his chest… everyone deserved to know what it felt like, but first, he wanted to allow himself to explore and learn everything he couldn’t yet understand and wanted to know. The world was vast and never-ending, and his thirst to explore every inch was strong. He knew that you and Saeyoung supported his passion. 

That’s why you were standing with him even now as the lands you knew slowly faded from view and the ocean became all you could see. 

He and his brother had been able to stop the accursed spell that afflicted the people of the kingdom and they too were freed from the chains of subserviency that the queen had bound them to in the first place. In a moment, everyone was free and the air that had once been tightened with smog and the bitter taste of ash was lifted. 

There was no avoiding explaining everything to the people as they all knew that something was amiss in their land. The queen’s plan was revealed and as was the duke, their plans for power and their quest to use the Sparrow and the king as puppets to control more and more land until they held all the money and claim to the world that they all knew of and would ever dream of. 

Mistrust in the queen had always been high but no one could ever dare speak it. But, now, knowing that nothing could happen if someone dare spoke what they thought? It was far too easy for everyone to come to learn that the queen had manipulated them all from the start. It was the damning of the once precious that damned the woman. 

Her dark magic had damaged the king to fall into eternal slumber in which nothing could prove to awake him from. Her punishment was to be locked away and given a trial the same way that Red Hood was to be taken down, but before anyone could bring her to face such judgment, she placed the same curse upon herself as she’d done to Jihyun. 

Saeyoung and Zen had been angry that she wouldn’t face punishment for what she’d done, but Saeran said that she’d punished herself by cursing herself to never wake from her sleep. There was nothing that they could do to change that fact anymore. So, both the former king and queen were both locked away until one day, a cure could be found. 

So Jihyun could make amends for his mistakes and Rika could face her true punishment, and so forth. It was a messy situation, to say the least, but his brother and the actor were working on each of the pieces that were required to take care of such things. It would be a matter of time until they had what they needed but in the meantime? 

Everyone turned against the queen and gave their support to Saeran and Ray. Though he was given the title of king to be used as a puppet, there was no denying that his plans to help the kingdom alongside King Han and his goals for peace had come from his heart. He wanted to help the people of this land all that he could. He felt it was his duty, born prince or not. 

For the time being, he was the king, and the crown he bore spoke volumes. 

He was a king for the people, not a king who towered over the people. His crown was left back in the castle as he stood tall as any other common man, smiling and offering his help and aid to anyone that was in need. His mission was to secure what had been lost and he was doing a good job, at least, that’s what you had told him. 

You…

You were the very one that gave him the strength and courage to believe in himself again. A sparrow that had once been trapped in a cage that fought your way to freedom to show him how to escape his prison. 

His love for you… Ray’s love for you… it was tried, true, and forever stitched into the fabric of his mind and it would never be erased. Ray never thought that he would meet someone that would make him as happy as you did, and yet, he did. 

Ray did it all because he had faith in humanity and he offered you a moment of kindness. His kindest pure heart allowed you to open yourself up to seeing change, just as much as it allowed him to see and believe in change. You might have been a thief and he may have been a prince when you first met, but labels never mattered in the scheme of things. 

You were both humans; Humans were bound to be free, to love, and to dream of a world beyond their own.

And as for himself, you had shown him that kindness could always be found, even in the most broken of hearts. You had offered him kindness and faith even when he hurt your feelings and tried to blame you for his suffering, and that light that shined from your heart was more powerful than any magic he had ever come into contact with. 

Once victims and now survivors; You were both surviving, and now you had the chance to thrive. 

For now, this was his life and for once, he was happy that that was the truth. From deep within his heart, he could feel Ray taste that salt of freedom and the seas. Though he hadn’t come out today for himself, it was more and more often he and Saeran would blur together as the overwhelming sense of happiness washed over them. 

Right now was one of those moments, where he wasn’t sure where he started and Ray began, but it wasn’t a feeling that made him scared. No, for once, he felt very connected with Ray and like they’d finally started to understand the other much better than they ever had. Perhaps, it was because they both had something that bound them together in this life. 

That love for a sparrow who believed in second chances. 

The sounds of feet against wood drew him from his thoughts as he turned his head, seeing you at the top of the deck with a smile on your face. You didn’t wait for him to run to your side, you just ran up to him and wrapped your arms around him tightly. He chuckled at how openly you had started to share your heart with him. 

It was no different for him. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, my sweet, songbird,” Saeran murmured. His lips brushed against the top of your head as that laughter grew and brought peace to his mind once more. “What was it that you were talking about with Saeyoung?” 

“You’ll have to ask him about that. I swear, being in the mountains for so long has clouded his brain somewhat with dreams of whimsy,” you sighed. Leaning into his embrace, you didn’t mind as the sway of the boat kept you tightly to his chest. “I don’t recall you asking me things like that back then, to be honest!” 

That was enough to make him laugh. 

The two of you both took a spot at the back of the ship, watching as the faintest sign of your land disappeared on the horizon. He held one of your hands and a peaceful sigh escaped his lips, and you knew from the way that his once tense shoulders slagged, he was calm and without stress to line his brow. 

Only the song of the sea was there to fill the silence, the call of the birds, the rustling of the water against the water, the fish that scattered and dipped in and out of the water. It was quite the song to hear and so very removed from the whistles of songbirds that had filled your life. Something about the melody reminded you of a time forgotten. 

“It sounds just like it did when you first shared the song of the sea with me,” Saeran said. 

“...?” 

Then it hit you. 

You looked over at him with a perplexed look on your face. He caught that look in your eyes and soon pulled something from his bag to show you. It was the shell that you had gifted to Ray when he asked you to bring him something from the outside world. You had gifted him something that meant a lot to you. Though you hadn’t said it at the time—

That wasn’t the first shell that you came across and it wasn’t just something that you had decided to give to him out of the blue. 

It was the first shell that you had ever discovered on the beach after your parents died. You remembered your mom whisper how the song of the sea could calm even the weariest of hearts. It was something to say that that shell was important to you. You had gifted it to Ray in the first place because he needed to hear it for himself. 

“You kept it,” you said.

“Of course,” he smiled at you, impossibly so. 

You had trusted him to hold onto that gift with the same faith that you had. And he had, even when the world turned against him, he kept it as a token of the love in his heart for you. It nearly brought tears to your eyes. Saeran caught your cheek with his free hand, wiping away the tears with his thumb. 

The light in his eyes was lovely. “It was the first gift I ever received from someone who never expected anything in return. You were right, the song of the sea really is beautiful in person. I can close my eyes and remember exactly what you said back then… it’s the same thing. You painted the picture for me perfectly. Thank you, for this. Thank you for giving me a chance when you had no reason to trust me, thank you for believing in Ray and Saeran, and thank you for loving me as I love you in return, my songbird.” 

Before he could overwhelm your heart, you leaned over and stole his lips into a gentle kiss. You could feel his smile against you as the seas of freedom washed over you. 

Once a thief who knew nothing but the walls of their cage, and now free from your binds to travel to your heart’s content, and a prince who knew nothing but the tall walls of his castle turned prison by those he trusted now able to choose kindness and freedom. The crown of calluna upon your brow carefully woven by him spoke of your childhood dreams come to life. 

_ Wishes will Come True _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot that I could say. I don't know if I could leave it all in an Author's Note. I just want to say thank you to all of my readers that have enjoyed this story. Thank you for supporting me and reading this little journey. My heart is heavy with love for Saeran and Ray. I hope that this ending fills you with the same warmth that you felt when you completed the AE if you've managed to complete it. This is the first time in a while that I've completed a fic like this so it means a lot to me. I hope that you enjoyed this ride. Don't hesitate to let me know what you loved here!

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly. If you don't follow Sensetenou or DailySaeran, you are missing out on following a great young artist with a lot of talent. She's grown a lot in her style and has managed to make me cry countless times whenever I see her rendition of Saeran, Ray, Suit Saeran, Unknown, so on and so forth. I hope that this one-shot gives the art some justice because I was inspired to make something for the second time after seeing her art.


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